Why Trading Away a Star Wideout Makes Sense for the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a fair amount of weapons entering the 2025 campaign. Under a new offensive scheme with head coach Liam Coen, quarterback Trevor Lawrence believed in his ability to get the ball out to his receivers. After all, the Jaguars did draft two-way athlete Travis Hunter in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft earlier in the year, so the expectations were that the improved wide receiver room would put up big numbers in 2025. However, it didn’t start great. While there were some solid performances out of veteran Parker Washington, the team had an alarming amount of dropped receptions. This was most seen in Brian Thomas Jr., who had a considerable sophomore slump. An injury to Travis Hunter during practice would end his season, continuing the decline of the Jaguars’ offensive performance. The team was able to turn it around, as they traded with the Las Vegas Raiders for veteran Jakobi Meyers and made a push for the AFC South Division title. 

Now with the offseason as the main focus for the Jaguars, the team will have to free up some space. Star linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne Jr. are entering free agency, meaning the Jaguars will need some cap space to be able to afford these contracts. With that being said, a possibility for the Jaguars to free up said space on the roster would be to trade away Brian Thomas. Yes, Thomas had a fantastic rookie season in 2024, putting up 87 receptions for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. However, Thomas had a forgettable 2025 campaign, putting up only 48 receptions for 707 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Jaguars had other wide receivers step up in his place, like Meyers and Parker Washington. The Jaguars have no first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft and could look to secure one by trading away Thomas. The Jaguars will also have Hunter returning from injury in 2026, giving fewer targets to Thomas. The contract extension to Meyers earlier in the season has only made it make more sense to let go of Thomas. 

There are teams that are desperate for wide receiver help. Take the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, or even the Pittsburgh Steelers for consideration. Jacksonville could easily sneak a high draft selection out of any of these teams and get a haul for Thomas, who still has potential to do great things in the NFL. Ultimately, the Jaguars could decide to just keep Thomas and hope for a comeback season in 2026. That decision will be left to general manager James Gladstone and Liam Coen on whether Thomas still has something left to offer in Duval County.