The Jaguars had a chance to move on from Brian Thomas Jr. at the trade deadline, but they chose to keep him - and the reasons behind that decision point to a team still thinking big.
Jacksonville was already known to be making aggressive moves with this season in mind, and before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline passed, it became clear the Jaguars would hold onto the wide receiver. A report said the 6-2 Jaguars “feel like they can compete at the highest level” this winter, which helped explain why they saw little reason to deal Thomas while his value was down.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano tied that thinking to what’s been happening elsewhere around the league. In a Wednesday morning piece, he pointed to the injuries the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have dealt with as part of the backdrop for Jacksonville’s choice.
“Thomas doesn’t look like an important player for the Jaguars anymore when you check the box score, but look around the league,” Graziano wrote. “The Rams are almost out of receivers.
The 49ers have been scrambling to fill those spots all season. Injuries happen, and if something should happen to Jakobi Meyers or Parker Washington, the Jaguars believe Thomas is a player who could help them if he suddenly got thrust into a higher-volume role.
The Jaguars are very clearly thinking about getting the top seed in the AFC and winning the very next Super Bowl. Maintaining quality depth at premium positions is important.”
That “box score” reference was about Thomas’ quiet season so far. He has 10 catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns in seven games, and he had no targets in Jacksonville’s 33-10 Week 9 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Nov.
- That game looked, at least on the surface, like another sign that his future in Jacksonville was shaky.
But Jeremy Fowler reported for ESPN that the Jaguars “just didn’t seem interested in moving” the 24-year-old.
“Thomas, meanwhile, garnered significant interest, but in the end the Jaguars, a true contender, didn’t want to subtract,” Fowler added. “They only wanted to add.
And they value Thomas, though his numbers don’t reflect that. He has speed that demands defensive attention. ...
That’s a lot of talent on which to give up. Thomas was, quite easily, the most gifted athlete on the field when I visited Jaguars training camp.”
Now the question shifts back to usage. Jacksonville will face the 1-7 Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and the expectation is that Thomas should be more involved. If he isn’t, the noise around the Jaguars’ decision to keep the 2024 first-round pick will only get louder.
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Around the league, the deadline also underscored how differently teams approached their own situations, with the Colts choosing to hold onto Jonathan Taylor despite multiple offers. For Jacksonville, the debate is already centered on whether the price was worth it, since some analysts have questioned the deal as unfavorable for the Jaguars. The real answer will come later, but this is the sort of bet that tends to follow a team long after the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
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The trade deadline gave the Jaguars a notable addition in Jordan Davis, a move that fits the kind of front-line reinforcement contenders usually chase when they think the moment is right. Around the league, the Bears landed Jeffery Simmons and the Eagles leaned into future draft capital, underscoring how differently teams approached the same window. For Jacksonville, the takeaway was simple enough: while some clubs chose patience, the Jaguars made sure they were part of the conversation.
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Jaguars Sent A Clear Deadline Message About Their AFC Push
The trade deadline around the league brought a few reminders that contenders are willing to make bold moves, but it also showed how carefully some teams are protecting their core. The Giants reportedly checked in with the Falcons about Bijan Robinson, the Colts reportedly passed on moving Jonathan Taylor, and a few notable names changed teams as clubs weighed present-day help against long-term value. For Jacksonville, it was another snapshot of how the AFC race is shaping up, with rivals making decisions that can alter the path through the conference.
For the Jaguars, the bigger takeaway is the message sent by the deadline itself: if a team believes it has a real shot, it has to decide whether to add, stand pat, or resist the temptation to break up what it already has. The leagues activity, from Jeffery Simmons landing with the Bears to Kirk Cousins ending up with the Vikings, underscored how quickly the balance can shift when front offices get aggressive. Jacksonville now has to keep an eye on how those choices ripple through the AFC, because the next move from a rival could matter just as much as anything that happened this week. [Read more 🡒]