The Patriots may not need to wait long to get a real look at one of the names that has hovered around the trade market.
When New England meets the Jaguars on Sunday, Brian Thomas Jr. will be right in front of them - and that matters because he’s already been tied to trade chatter this year, even after the Patriots were also linked to A.J. Brown earlier in the season. Thomas, a 2024 first-round pick, flashed as a rookie before his production cratered, and while it’s still early enough to avoid any final verdicts, his name has stayed in the conversation ahead of the deadline.
That makes Week 3 feel less like a regular-season game and more like a live scouting trip for Mike Vrabel and company. Thomas has opened this season with only 6 receptions on 11 targets for 80 yards over the last two weeks, and his latest stretch has only intensified the frustration around him in Jacksonville. The Jaguars haven’t seen enough consistency, and the drops that have followed him have only fueled the sense that he’s trending in the wrong direction.
For the Patriots, that’s where the intrigue starts. They need help at receiver, and the situation has gotten tighter with A.J.
Brown out for at least three more games, with some reports saying he might not be back until Week 8. Add in the loss of Kayshon Boutte, and the depth chart raises real questions about who can carry the load now and who can still be part of the answer later.
Thomas is still young - just 23 - and his rookie line shows why he remains tempting. He posted 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns just two years ago, production that would fit anywhere, especially in New England.
The appeal isn’t just what he did then, either. It’s the possibility that the Patriots could get that version back with the right environment.
That’s the other layer here: Thomas wouldn’t just be a short-term fix. In theory, he could grow alongside Drake Maye and give the quarterback a target who lasts longer than Brown is expected to. That idea had already been part of the hope around the offense, and there was some optimism that Kyle Williams could become that kind of player, but he hasn’t shown it yet.
Of course, this all comes back to price. If the Patriots decide Thomas is worth pursuing, they still have to get him at a number that makes sense, and that gets tricky after they already gave up a future first-round pick for Brown in June. If Jacksonville wants something in that neighborhood, Thomas is probably out of reach.
But if the cost is lower, New England has every reason to kick the tires. Sunday could tell them plenty about whether Thomas is still a player worth betting on - and whether the Patriots should be ready to make a move before the deadline.
In Other News...
Tom Brady Report Reopens How Football Helped End His Marriage
Tom Bradys family life is back in the spotlight after new reporting from an upcoming biography by Lars Anderson revisits the strain his football career put on his marriage to Gisele Bundchen. Brady and Bundchen finalized their divorce in October 2022 after 13 years together, and the latest account digs back into one of the central issues around the split: her frustration with the demands and priorities of his football commitments.
The biography also adds fresh detail to a relationship that had already been heavily scrutinized, including claims that Bundchen wanted Brady to retire and that her connection with Joaquim Valente began earlier than previously understood. The book says the marriage ultimately unraveled after Brady decided to unretire in 2022, reopening a chapter that, for Patriots fans, has long been tied to the final stretch of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Dip Into Practice Squad Again For Key Week 3 Roles
The Patriots leaned on familiar depth again for a key Week 3 assignment, elevating safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. from the practice squad for Sundays game against the Jaguars. Both players have been around the organization in recent seasons, moving between the practice squad and the active roster while giving New England some continuity at two spots that can come under strain quickly during the season.
Brown and Pharms are expected to go back to the practice squad after the game, which is the kind of roster maneuver that has become part of the weekly rhythm for teams trying to stay flexible early in the year. For the Patriots, it also underscores how much they continue to value players who already know the system and can be called upon without much adjustment when a spot opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Tight End Problem Feels Bigger After One Offseason Misfire
The Patriots went into the offseason trying to add some badly needed depth at tight end, bringing in free agent Julian Hill and using a draft pick on Eli Raridon. It was a sensible attempt to address a spot that has been thin for a while, but Hills season-ending injury quickly changed the equation and left New England without the extra body it was counting on.
From there, the opportunity to make a bigger swing never materialized. Kyle Pitts had been discussed as a possible trade target for the Patriots, but Atlanta kept him and then extended him, even as his 2026 start has drawn fresh scrutiny around that decision. For New England, the result is another reminder that the tight end room remains unresolved, and the offseason move meant to stabilize it may already be behind schedule. [Read more 🡒]