There's no way to sugarcoat it: Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is dealing with a pretty severe sophomore slump. Through eight games, he's only brought in 30 balls for 420 yards and a touchdown. At this same point last year—keeping in mind the Jacksonville Jaguars were 2-6 through eight games instead of 5-3—he had 573 yards and five touchdowns with 33 receptions.
Other than the touchdowns, those numbers aren't astronomically different. Yes, 150 yards through eight games is a solid decline (though it's really less than 20 yards per game). And a three-reception difference? Negligible. However, the numbers stand out even more when you factor in Thomas' targets this year compared to last: Trevor Lawrance has thrown him the ball 60 times so far this year—that's 11 more than last year through eight games (49).
That's a completion percentage of 50 percent in 2025, down from 65 percent in 2024, and it's the biggest reason for his decline.
Related: Jaguars' Jakobi Meyers just got surprising shoutout from former Patriots teammate
The Jaguars may place Brian Thomas Jr. on the trade block the offseason
It was clear even before the trade deadline came and went that the Jaguars had no real intentions of offloading Thomas this year. The Athletic's Dianna Russini recently stated that "[t]he Jaguars are listening on calls for WR Brian Thomas Jr.," though she went on to add that "a move feels highly unlikely."
Thomas is only in the second year of his rookie contract, which makes his cap hit relatively small, and despite receiving some good news, Jacksonville's receivers' room has taken quite a few punches in recent weeks. Rookie and Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter is sitting on IR, adding to the hardships.
However, that doesn't mean Thomas's name won't be brought up in the offseason. Hunter was proving he could be the No. 1 receiver before his injury, and wideout Parker Washington has long been a sleeper who's only starting to get his share of the spotlight. Just recently, general manager James Gladstone brought in Jakobi Meyers, which means Washington will get even more playing time in the slot, where he can shine the most.
So what does all this mean for Thomas? If Hunter and Washington continue to show their reliability, and if Meyers holds up his end of the trade, then Thomas's sophomore slump might turn into an offseason trade.
Moe Moton of The Bleacher Report writes, "If the Jaguars elevate Hunter's status [to WR1] once he's healthy and Meyers builds a strong rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Thomas could be expendable. Regardless of how the 2025 season ends for Thomas, he would draw several suitors because of his impressive first year in the league. Teams will be more than willing to trade a first-rounder and more to feature him in the passing attack."
Moton goes on to list the Washington Commanders, the New York Giants, and the Pittsburgh Steelers as potential landing spots for the former LSU Tiger. All three teams could use reinforcements at wide receiver.
Related: Jaguars nearly pulled off trade heist for Packers tight end at deadline
Final thoughts
Do I think the Jaguars will trade wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason? No, not really. Sure, signing an extension might prove expensive, but that's at least two more offseasons away. He's only now in the second year of his rookie contract, and even if Jakobi Meyers plays well enough to get an extension (he's in the final year of his contract), that doesn't change much in keeping the relatively inexpensive Thomas.
Besides, if Brian Thomas Jr. is able to recapture his rookie season (even a little bit), the four-headed monster of Hunter, Thomas, Meyers, and Washington (not to mention tight end Brenton Strange) might just ignite the offense that we all hoped for entering the season.