Head coach Liam Coen remains confident that wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. can help the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense.
Over the first six games of the season, Thomas Jr.'s role has continued to decrease, with his playing time plummeting to just 15 snaps against Houston, none of which came in the second half.
On the year, Thomas Jr. has just nine receptions for 105 yards with a touchdown, including no receptions over the last two games.
"I mean, look, every week is different and I think that's what's kind of special about this group is that, hey, every week you gotta get new people stepping up and making plays, and he's no different," Coen said on Monday after the bye. "He's going to be able to help us make plays this week. I'd bet it, I know it.
We're going to continue to support him and put our arm around him and continue to do what we gotta do to make plays on Sundays and we gotta continue to put him in the best position to do so. BT works at it, he cares about this, he cares about winning and losing, cares about his team. We all want to see guys have success individually, but I'm excited about attacking this week with BT."
The version we saw of Thomas Jr. as a rookie may not be realistic in the Coen offense, where spreading the ball around and weekly matchups dictate targets rather than relying solely on a true No. 1 target.
He is also clearly behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers on the depth chart. While Josh Cameron has steadily earned more opportunities, and it looks like Travis Hunter could as well moving forward. The Jaguars ' usage of two- and three-tight-end sets doesn't help Thomas Jr.'s case for playing time either.
That said, that doesn't mean he can't have a steady role on offense either. His ability to win downfield adds another big-play element to the offense and can help create opportunities for others. But to maximize that skill set, more overall consistency is needed.
According to Adam Schefter, the Jaguars have "shown no signs of engaging in trade talks" about Thomas Jr., but teams are expected to "ramp up calls" as the trade deadline approaches.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Coen addresses Brian Thomas Jr.'s role in Jaguars offense
