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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season at 4-2 and firmly atop the AFC South.
They next face the Colts, who are 2-5, have lost three straight, and recently fired their longtime general manager, Chris Ballard, with more front office and roster moves potentially coming. The Jaguars did fall 34-31 to the Texans in Week 6, but they remain the team to beat in the division after Houston's loss to the Giants on Sunday.
And yet again, Brian Thomas Jr. is nowhere to be found.
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Thomas has just nine catches for 105 yards and one touchdown through six games. He has yet to surpass 40 yards in a game this season and didn't catch a single pass in either of the last two games, including their loss to the Texans, in which he was benched for the entire second half. That's shocking for a player who looked like one of the best wideouts in the NFL just two years ago, and who the Jaguars felt strongly enough about to use a first-round pick on.
With Parker Washington looking every bit like the elite WR1 Thomas was supposed to be, and other pass catchers, like veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brenton Strange, making more of an impact on offense, Thomas has been one of the most popular names brought up in trade rumors ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
But according to Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, they still have a plan for Thomas.
"He's gonna be able to help us make plays this week," Coen said on Monday. "I bet it, I know it. We're gonna continue to support him, throw our arm around him, and continue to do what we gotta do to make plays on Sunday. We gotta continue to put him in the best position to do so. BT works at it. He cares about this. He cares about winning and losing. He cares about this team. We all wanna see guys have success individually, but I'm excited about attacking this week with BT."
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As a rookie in 2024, Thomas recorded 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per catch and establishing himself as one of the most explosive young receivers in football. But last season was already bad enough, dropping down to just 707 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches, and he's not even on pace to reach half of those totals this year.
Even with that shocking decline, Thomas is still an intriguing trade target. He's just 24 years old, already has a Pro Bowl season under his belt, and remains on a team-friendly rookie contract through the 2027 season, with a fifth-year option available for 2028. Teams looking for a cheap, young receiver with big-play ability could see an opportunity to buy low. The Chiefs and Steelers have both been floated as possible landing spots, along with the 49ers, Raiders, and Rams.
Coen's comments don't mean much. His support is encouraging, but it doesn't mean the team won't still trade Thomas if the right offer presents itself. The Jaguars might still prefer to keep him for all the previous reasons laid out, but it's clear his role has rapidly declined, and how he performs over the next two weeks could ultimately determine how much longer he stays in Jacksonville. After the Colts on Sunday, they will travel to Baltimore for a Thursday night showdown against the Ravens.
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