The 2026 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and Brian Thomas Jr. remains a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While there was plenty of outside speculation about Thomas' future with the Jaguars over the last month, most reports suggested that this would be the outcome.
Although Thomas' role and production have dipped this season, it's clear that the organization still values him as part of the team. Here are three reasons why.
Brian Thomas Jr.'s impact without the ball
Thomas has only 10 receptions for 117 yards with two touchdowns this season. But even with the lack of production, he garners attention when on the field. Defenses have to be mindful of his speed and playmaking abilities.
As SI's Albert Breer noted, even if the ball doesn't go his way, there is a lot of value that his field-stretching
presence adds to the offense.
"Thomas brings a downfield element that’s really important in keeping defenses honest against the run, and opening things up underneath for Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington," Breer wrote recently.
The Jaguars have the opportunity to win now
Jacksonville is currently 6-2 and is a legitimate contender in the AFC. As ESPN's Jeremy Fowler pointed out recently, the Jaguars are in win-now mode, so they were looking to add to their roster at the trade deadline, not subtract.
On Monday, Liam Coen sent a similar message to the entire team.
"We're going to do everything in our power to give us the best chance to pursue greatness," Coen said in a team meeting on Monday, a day when the Jaguars made three trades. "That's what we do. That's our job, and we're going to continue to do that as this week goes. We're going to put ourselves in the best chance to succeed in every single decision we make as an organization."
Trading Thomas today for future draft picks doesn't make the 2026 Jaguars better.
Brian Thomas is still under contract beyond this season
It's not as if Thomas is set to be a free agent this offseason. He is under contract through 2027 and, as a first-round pick, the Jaguars have a fifth-year option for 2028. That's still two years of team control left beyond this season.
If the Jaguars ever get to the point where they do want to trade him, that could be done in the offseason, when it won't be an in-season disruption and more teams could get involved.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 3 reasons Jaguars didn't trade WR Brian Thomas Jr. at deadline
