Feb. 17, 2026, 1:19 p.m. ET

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put together 11 trade proposals for the upcoming NFL offseason, one of which included the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr.

In Barnwell’s trade, the Bills were the Jaguars‘ trade partner. Jacksonville received a 2026 first-round pick and wide receiver Keon Coleman. The Bills received Thomas Jr. and a 2026 fifth-round pick.

“Thomas, on the other hand, never really seemed comfortable in Coen’s offense,” wrote Barnwell. “After a massive rookie campaign, Thomas didn’t have a single 100-yard game in Year 2 and topped 70 receiving yards three times. There were drops and (perhaps overstated) concerns about Thomas’ unwillingness to make catches in tight spaces. Bottom line: The production wasn’t there, and things didn’t get better as the season went along.”

Barnwell adds that this deal would give the Jaguars a first-round pick in return, a selection that the team doesn’t have after trading up last April for Travis Hunter.

Since the trade deadline, there have been reports and speculation about Thomas Jr.’s future with the Jaguars.

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However, whenever asked about the idea of this happening, the Jaguars are quick to dismiss the thought of a trade being in play. This happened during the trade deadline and then again after the season.

While Thomas Jr. didn’t find the same success in Year 2 as he did as a rookie, trading him makes little sense.

For one, Thomas Jr. is also entering the third year of his rookie deal, and given his previous production coupled with his potential, that is a tremendous value for the Jaguars, who still have two years of team control plus a fifth-year option.

“Thomas’ contract is a bargain for the next few years,” wrote Barnwell. “He’ll make $2.1 million in 2026 and $2.8 million in 2027 before a potential fifth-year option in 2028.”

Then, going beyond the production that Thomas Jr. can bring to this offense, when he was sidelined last season with an ankle injury, his presence within the offense was very much missed.

With his ability to stretch the field, that creates better spacing and opportunities for others to exploit. When Thomas Jr. was sidelined, this element was missing, and the Jaguars felt the effects of that.

Lastly, with Travis Hunter reportedly playing cornerback full-time and wide receiver part-time, Thomas Jr. is going to remain a big part of this offense moving forward.

Although the 2025 season didn’t go as hoped, Thomas Jr. possesses far too much talent to move on from.

“The Jaguars might stick with Thomas and expect more from him in 2026,” added Barnwell. “Jacksonville could use Hunter as a full-time cornerback and part-time wide receiver in 2026, which would likely mean that Coen would call on Thomas, Washington and Meyers as the team’s top three receivers in 11 personnel.”