Brian Thomas Jr., a first round pick and star wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is under fire. This was quickly followed by the news that his teammate Travis Hunter had been injured. The former Jacksonville University standout 2024 first-round pick has endured plenty of highs and lows over the course of his career. Now, he needs to put all that together and capitalize on this opportunity for his program.
During the 2025 season Thomas Jr is officially third on his team in receiving yards with 365, 41st in the NFL. His yards per catch average of 13.5 yards is better than 22 other players and sits him at 28th in the league. Further, his 52.1 receiving yards per game is the fourth-lowest for a player in their second season, following a rookie campaign with more than 1,000 receiving yards. He went on to have one of the best rookie seasons in 2024. He studded up 1,282 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, placing him third in the NFL for receiving yards.
Even with all of his past success, Thomas Jr is having an off-season this year. He’s already accrued five drops, which ranks him second-most in the entire NFL. Since entering the NFL in 2021, he’s thrown a league-high 74 turnovers. These struggles have placed a premium expectation on him to dazzle and produce at a high level.
During Week 6, the Jaguars fought hard against the Seattle Seahawks. Receiver Redd Thomas Jr had a breakout game with eight receptions and his first touchdown of the season. Unfortunately, even this stellar performance was upstaged by the team’s defeat. As an example, in Week 7 versus the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded three receptions for a mere 31 yards.
Given these hurdles, it’s encouraging to hear the other day from Coach Liam Coen about how Thomas Jr has been stepping up in practice.
“Any player that has maybe not done as much as they’d want to — as a player and as a coach — [the approach] is to just keep pushing through that.” – Liam Coen
Coen told success stories that often took years of work to achieve.
“It takes work, it takes patience, it takes time, and you’re just hopeful that it’s going to be able to come to life here.” – Liam Coen
Equally as important to his development is Thomas Jr.’s capacity to learn from and collaborate with his teammates. Ongoing talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence guide him through his on-field turmoil and keep him locked in while things are going against him. Lawrence’s backing is very important for Thomas Jr as he moves in a more critical stage of his career.
Teammate Brown restated this, telling Thomas Jr to remain himself for good and bad even when times were tough.
“Even when he has those games like that, I always want to tell him, ‘Man, remember to be who you are. Don’t let this phase you in any kind of way, because at the end of the day, we need you to be you.’” – Brown
As the pressure builds after Hunter’s injury, Thomas Jr is well aware of what’s expected from him. Indeed, it seems he knows how good he is after claiming such in an exclusive interview last week.
“I feel like I know what I could do and I know what I’m capable of.” – Brian Thomas Jr
The Jaguars’ coaching staff and players know that Thomas Jr has all the tools they need to make big plays happen. His clutch performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5 demonstrated his ability to step up when it matters most. His most memorable moment, an acrobatic and critical 33-yard third down conversion on the game-winning drive, was emblematic of his playmaking ability and toughness.
As the season progresses, Thomas Jr must find a way to translate his potential into consistent performances on the field. His talent for processing the past to improve the future will be necessary for any sustainability from the Jaguars’ promising success.
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