What’s Next for Brian Thomas Jr.?

Brian Thomas Jr. broke onto the scene in his 2024 rookie campaign, catching 87 passes for 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns. This landed him a Pro Bowl selection and a top-four finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. He did this with inconsistent quarterback play and two coaches who would be fired that offseason. It appeared the sky was the limit for the 22-year-old, but his struggles in 2025 drastically changed expectations. One year removed from an excellent rookie season, there are a lot of questions about Thomas Jr. moving forward.

What’s Next for Brian Thomas Jr.?

Confidence and Fit

Perhaps no single game highlighted a player’s lack of confidence more than in Week 2 of the 2025 season when the Jaguars took on the Cincinnati Bengals. On multiple occasions, Thomas Jr. shied away from contact over the middle of the field, throwing his hands at the ball with no aggression. The following week, it was even worse. His lack of ability to attack the ball with his hands showed a clear problem that went beyond just confidence.

When the Jaguars traded for Jakobi Meyers, the offense took off. Parker Washington began to shine with multiple 100-yard games, and Meyers was the perfect middle-of-the-field threat. This left the first-year Pro Bowler suddenly pushed down the pecking order as the team’s third-best wide receiver.

With the sudden addition and breakouts of Meyers and Washington, this poses a lot of questions about what the 2026 Jaguars offense will look like regarding Thomas Jr.’s involvement. His best attribute as a rookie was catching passes in open space and creating plays, recording 562 yards after the catch. This level of production saw a massive dip in 2025, recording just 159 yards after the catch. Liam Coen’s system is primarily designed to get receivers open over the middle of the field and make contested catches along the sidelines. This system greatly benefits Washington and Meyers, but not Thomas Jr., which is why he fell behind.

With a full offseason of adjusting to Meyers and Washington’s increased roles, we could see Thomas Jr. have a bounce-back season. However, the expectations of a perennial 1300-yard, 10-touchdown receiver have significantly changed. With three excellent wide receiver weapons, along with Brenton Strange as a security blanket at tight end, and a part-time wide receiver in Travis Hunter, the Jaguars don’t need Thomas Jr. to play at an All-Pro level. If he is able to attack the football consistently with Liam Coen playing to his strengths, we could see the best version of Brian Thomas Jr. But if 2026 brings much of the same production as 2025, his long-term future in Jacksonville could come into question.