Jaguars Turned Down Multiple Trade Offers for Brian Thomas Jr., Coen Called Him to Say So
Brian Thomas Jr. spent part of the 2025 season as trade bait around the league. The Jacksonville Jaguars never budged.
According to Bleacher Report, citing Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Jacksonville declined two “significant” trade offers for Thomas ahead of last season’s Nov. 4 deadline. The Jaguars held that line again this offseason when Thomas’ name kept surfacing in trade chatter, according to Heavy.com.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn’t just let the rumors sit out there. He called Thomas directly early in the offseason to tell him, in plain terms, that Jacksonville wasn’t moving him.
“It was just important to let him know we’re all in this thing together, and this is not coming from us,” Coen said, according to ProFootballRumors.com.
That’s a phone call, not a press conference. Coen didn’t wait for a reporter to ask. He picked up the phone and told his 23-year-old receiver where he stood.
Why Thomas Kept Popping Up in Trade Talk
The speculation didn’t come out of nowhere. Thomas broke out as a rookie in 2024, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl nod and a fourth-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Then 2025 happened.
Thomas finished last season with 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns over 14 games, missing three with ankle and shoulder injuries. His drop rate more than doubled, jumping to 11.0 percent after sitting at 5.3 percent as a rookie — he tied for second in the NFL with 10 drops, according to Heavy.com.
Meanwhile, the offense kept moving without him. Parker Washington stepped into a bigger role. Jakobi Meyers arrived in a midseason trade from the Raiders and settled in fast. Travis Hunter, working through an injury-shortened rookie year, is expected to see more targets in 2026 as well. Thomas went from focal point to one name among several in a crowded receiver room.
| Season | Games | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (Rookie) | 17 | 87 | 1,282 | 10 |
| 2025 | 14 | 48 | 707 | 2 |
That drop-off is exactly what made rival teams think Jacksonville might listen. It didn’t work.
A Relationship Thomas Says Has Grown
Thomas told The Athletic the call from Coen meant something to him beyond just clearing the air.
“That put me in a good spot,” Thomas said, per Heavy.com.
He framed it as a trust builder — the kind of gesture that makes a player want to grind harder for a coaching staff rather than wonder where he stands. Thomas has also talked about his working relationship with Coen improving since the rocky stretches of last season, describing the two as having grown closer as Coen’s offense demands more precision than production alone.
Coen, for his part, has been consistent about framing this as bigger than one season’s stat line. He wants Thomas to see Jacksonville as invested in him long-term, not just chasing this year’s box score.
What’s Next: Preseason Opener at New Orleans
Jacksonville opens its 2026 preseason Saturday against the Saints at Caesars Superdome, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT), according to the New Orleans Saints’ official site.
Don’t expect to see Thomas on the field for it, though. Jacksonville’s starters, Thomas included, are being held out of the preseason opener and will get their work in through joint practices instead, according to Yahoo Sports and the Florida Times-Union. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and cornerback-receiver Travis Hunter are in the same boat. The Week 1 preseason roster spot battles will fall mostly to rookies and players fighting for a depth chart spot.
That means Thomas’ real audition starts once the games count. He’s two years removed from a record-setting rookie debut and one season removed from a stretch that had rival executives calling Jacksonville to see if he was available. The Jaguars have made their answer clear twice now — first with their wallets at the trade deadline, then with a phone call in the offseason. What happens on the field in 2026 is on Thomas.
