The Buffalo Bills are heading into a pivotal offseason, and one thing is clear: they need more firepower at wide receiver. Josh Allen is still very much in his prime, and with Joe Brady now officially the head coach-and still calling plays-the time to get aggressive and surround Allen with top-tier talent is now.
One name that’s reportedly on the radar? Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. And if the latest trade buzz holds any weight, there could be a legitimate swap brewing between the Bills and Jaguars that would send Thomas to Buffalo and Keon Coleman the other way.
Here’s the framework of the proposed deal: Buffalo ships Coleman and its first-round pick (No. 26 overall) to Jacksonville in exchange for Thomas and a fifth-rounder. On paper, that’s a hefty price. But when you look at the upside, it starts to make a lot of sense.
Let’s break it down.
Why Brian Thomas Jr. Makes Sense for Buffalo
Thomas may not have matched the production from his electric rookie season in 2025, but make no mistake-he’s still a high-level receiver with the kind of upside that can reshape an offense. At 6'3", with speed to stretch the field and the physicality to win contested catches, he checks a lot of boxes for what Allen needs in a true WR1.
And then there’s the contract. Thomas is on a rookie deal that will pay him just $2.1 million in 2026 and $2.8 million in 2027, with a fifth-year option in 2028.
For a team that’s currently projected to be $10 million over the cap, that kind of cost control is gold. It gives Buffalo multiple seasons of flexibility while providing Allen with a reliable, high-upside target.
Even if Thomas doesn’t fully return to his rookie-year form, a version of him that lands somewhere between his 2024 and 2025 seasons still represents a significant upgrade-and at a bargain price.
What Jacksonville Gets Out of It
The Jaguars, meanwhile, are dealing from a position of strength. They’ve got depth at wide receiver, which makes Thomas expendable if the right offer comes along. In this scenario, they’d be taking a flyer on Keon Coleman, who had a rocky sophomore season in Buffalo but still has intriguing tools-size, hands, and flashes of playmaking ability.
For Jacksonville, this would be a bet on their coaching staff’s ability to get Coleman back on track. And with the 26th overall pick coming their way, they’d also be in position to either draft another receiver or address a different area of need.
The Bigger Picture for Buffalo
The Bills could, of course, hold onto that first-round pick and try to land a wideout in the draft. But that's always a roll of the dice.
Thomas, on the other hand, is already a known commodity. He’s played meaningful NFL snaps, produced at a high level, and shown he can be a difference-maker.
For a team looking to maximize Josh Allen’s window, this isn’t just a splashy move-it’s a calculated one. Adding a player like Thomas gives the offense a legitimate No. 1 threat, something that’s been missing since Stefon Diggs’ peak years. And with Joe Brady now fully in charge of the offense, having a dynamic receiver like Thomas could open up the playbook in ways we haven’t seen yet.
This is the kind of bold, forward-thinking move that could set the tone for the Bills’ offseason. If they pull it off, it might just be the piece that helps elevate them back into serious Super Bowl contention.