Jaguars To Retain WR Brian Thomas Jr. Past Deadline

The Jags have informed interested teams they plan to retain Brian Thomas Jr. past today’s 3pm CT deadline, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Thomas’ name has come up in trade rumors since before the 2025 deadline, and he has been an even less significant factor in Liam Coen’s offense than he was during a disappointing second season. But the Jags, who received interest from AFC contenders in the former first-round pick, will stand pat.

This should be good news for the Colts, who have seen a few trade chips fizzle at the receiver position — as they look to have a true move piece in Josh Downs. The Browns are not planning to trade Jerry Jeudy, while the Jets understandably are intent on keeping Garrett Wilson. Thomas is not even producing on the Jeudy level this season, and offers (if applicable) have probably checked in south of what Marvin Harrison Jr. fetched the Cardinals.

Still, a Thomas trade would have been a way for the trade-happy AFC South club to recoup draft assets after an explosive Monday as a buyer. The Jags dealt five draft choices, including a first-rounder and two seconds, from 2027-29 to land Jessie Bates, Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis. Jacksonville, after trading its 2026 first-round pick in the Travis Hunter deal, currently does not hold first- or second-rounders in the 2027 draft. That will create a challenge for the Coen-James Gladstone regime, raising the stakes for the team’s 2026 season.

It never made much sense for the Chiefs and Steelers to be in this derby, considering they are AFC threats to the Jags, but both teams were in on the third-year WR. The Chiefs were believed to have viewed Thomas as their top target over Downs, but Kansas City has since seen Downs buzz increase. Thomas being off the market, however, should raise the Colts’ price on Downs, who has also been connected to the Commanders. The Rams having lost Puka Nacua after already having Davante Adams on IR will naturally make them — a rather aggressive buyer — a team to monitor on Downs as well.

Gladstone having worked for Les Snead in L.A. made the Rams an interesting Thomas team, but the next round of trade rumors involving the LSU product will center around an offseason move. Considering how far Thomas has fallen since his 1,282-yard rookie season under Doug Pederson and Press Taylor, it would surprise if he is with the Jags in Week 1 of the 2027 season. But he stands to be part of their Super Bowl LXI push, even as other players are much higher priorities in Coen’s offense.

Jacksonville’s offense features Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Brenton Strange as preferred Trevor Lawrence weapons. Thomas’ 117 receiving yards sit seventh on the team this season, also trailing Bhayshul Tuten, second-round tight end Nate Boerkircher and sixth-round rookie WR Josh Cameron. The presences of Cameron and hybrid (albeit now a defense-oriented hybrid) Travis Hunter further diminish Thomas’ standing; he has caught one pass over the past four games. But with the Jags gunning for their first Super Bowl berth, they understandably don’t want another contender being helped by an asset they unloaded.

The Steelers showed interest before last year’s deadline, but the Jaguars held firm on their stance of holding on here past the draft. We heard late last month trade offers were expected to increase, and while connections to a few teams emerged, the Jags are effectively keeping the unproductive wideout for competitive purposes. Barring a late-season turnaround for Thomas, his value will diminish once the team regroups on trade interest in 2027.