Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been named as a player to watch ahead of the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones included him on a list of potential trade candidates on October 3. Jones also reported that overall trade activity around the league is quiet, so this is a watch list and not a done deal.
What is reported and what is not
Here is the confirmed part. Jones listed Thomas among trade candidates, with Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and several others. Nothing in what I read says a team has called Jacksonville, and nothing says the Jaguars have made Thomas available. Neither the player nor the team has commented publicly in the reporting I found.
A separate Bleacher Report piece from September 30 floated San Francisco as a fit. That was an opinion from writer Alex Kay, not a report of talks, and it should be read that way.
The numbers behind the rumor
Thomas was the 23rd overall pick in 2024 and caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. Last year he fell to 48 catches. This season he has seven receptions for 88 yards through three games, and he sits behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers on the depth chart.
That is a steep drop for a player who looked like a future star two seasons ago. Jones noted that Jacksonville also has a team option decision looming on his 2028 season, which is one reason he shows up on trade lists.
Should Jacksonville sell?
I would not sell now. His trade value is at its lowest point, and the Jaguars would be moving a 2024 first-round pick for whatever a team is willing to pay a struggling receiver. A fresh start can help a young player, but a team that moves him this month is taking the bad price.
The better path is to find out why the role shrank. If it is scheme or quarterback play, Jacksonville can fix that. If it is a player issue, the market will be there in the spring, when contenders have cap room and the option decision is closer.
The counterargument is that Thomas has been phased out of the plan already, and holding a talented player on the bench helps nobody. That is fair. But the Jaguars lose nothing by waiting for a real offer, and so far nobody has reported one.
For now, treat this as speculation. Watch for any statement from Jacksonville’s coaching staff this week, and for any report that a team has asked about him.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
