Brian Thomas Jr.'s Jaguars Future Revealed in New NFL Trade Rumors at 2026 Deadline

The Jacksonville Jaguars are planning to stick with Brian Thomas Jr. despite his usage dropping off this season, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday.

According to Fowler, the Jaguars plan to keep Thomas past the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline and "have relayed that to interested teams."

Thomas had been connected to teams in need of receiver help, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders.

The Jaguars also previously reportedly turned down "significant" offers for Thomas ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, per The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

The news comes after the Jaguars stacked their roster for a potential playoff run in a series of Monday trades for safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux.

Thomas, who turned 24 in October, is signed through the 2027 season on a rookie contract that features a club option for 2028.

He has recorded 10 catches on 22 targets for 117 yards with two touchdowns through the first eight games of the 2026 campaign.

A first-round pick out of LSU in 2024, Thomas started his career with a strong rookie season during which he recorded 87 catches for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games.

He took a step back during a sophomore 2025 season, making 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games.

Thomas' standing with the Jaguars seemingly declined since then as Trevor Lawrence turned more regularly to Parker Washington, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers as his top targets.

Although the Jags seemingly gained enough positional depth to consider moving on from Thomas, head coach Liam Coen is apparently sticking with his previous assurances the Jaguars are committed to developing the former first-rounder.

Coen could now hope to improve Thomas' fit in the Jaguars' scheme down the stretch as Lawrence and his team look to build on their 6-2 start by securing the AFC South title.