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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) can’t haul in a reception during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Thomas’ Next Move Will Define His Season

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Seven games into the 2025 NFL season, it's safe to say that Brian Thomas Jr. has fallen well short of expectations for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As a first-round pick coming out of LSU last year, he reeled in 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also taking six carries for 48 yards. That performance gave him a dark-horse bid for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

With such a dominant first campaign and the promise that a full year with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Head Coach Liam Coen offered, people expected a lot from BTJ in 2025. On average, he was the 15th-overall pick in full-PPR fantasy leagues, ahead of established stars such as the Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor and the Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown.

And yet, he's been one of the most disappointing players in all of fantasy football this year. He's on pace to finish with just 66 catches, 886 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. The Jaguars are hoping that he can come out after the bye, turn his disappointing season around, and give them a true WR1 again.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Time is running out for Brian Thomas Jr.

It wasn't surprising to see Brian Thomas Jr. start slowly. As his struggles continued, though, the patience and the excuses began to run out. During the Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 8 bye, BTJ saw his name pop up in trade rumors amid his disappointments in the early season.

However, Head Coach Liam Coen was quick to shut those talks down. He's been continually supportive of Thomas Jr., both in his press conferences and with his playbook. It's clear that the Jaguars have dialed up multiple plays each week to try to get their star wideout going, but none of their efforts have been able to drag him over his mental hurdles.

Prayer circle:

Brian Thomas Jr
becomes good at
football again

https://t.co/JD08x7187u
— . (@gold_jag5) October 29, 2025

Coen's tone seemed to change a bit when he was asked about Thomas Jr.'s headspace during the bye:

"I think you're continuing to try to — any player that is maybe not done as much as they'd want to — as a player and as a coach is to just keep pushing through that. There's going to be a breakthrough at some point here to just connect and doing it. And you watch games from last year, because obviously you're watching the Raiders from last year, and you're watching big plays being made and alright man, it has to go happen as much as it can in practice, but also in the game, it's got to come to life for that connection to truly go the way that it needs to go. So, it takes work, it takes patience, it takes time, and you're just hopeful that it's going to be able to come to life here.”

Coen can continue to scheme Brian Thomas Jr. open, and Trevor Lawrence can force-feed him targets all they want, but ultimately, he has to catch the ball. Feel the rain on your skin, BTJ.

To see if Brian Thomas Jr. can turn his season around, follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley.

CLICK RIGHT HERE to add us on Facebook and let us know your thoughts on Liam Coen's latest comments on BTJ.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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