Is Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. on the trade block? Well that kind of depends on who you ask. ESPN’s Adam Schefter addressed the buzz around Thomas this week, dismissing it as “social media speculation.” 

All due respect to Schefter, who’s as plugged in as anyone, but it’s not just social media speculation. There have been multiple reports from legitimate journalists about teams checking in with the Jaguars about a trade for Thomas. Schefter might not be wrong to characterize a trade as unlikely but that misses all the nuance involved here. There are multiple signs that the Jaguars aren’t completely closed off to trading Thomas. 

SI.com’s John Shipley is about as plugged in as any Jaguars beat reporter who’s active right now. He confirmed the chatter from reporters covering other teams that Jacksonville has received consistent trade interest in Thomas. Shipley also said the belief is the Jaguars would want at least one premium pick to trade Thomas. 

That is completely different from just shutting down trade discussions altogether. The truth is, very few players are untradable for the right price. There’s a story from when longtime left tackle Laremy Tunsil was traded back in 2019 by the Dolphins to the Texans. Miami GM Chris Grier called him into his office to give him the news and Tunsil saw the trade package written out on a whiteboard — two first-round picks, a second and a couple of players. He told Grier, “I would have traded me too.” 

It’s also good to be cautious about taking general managers and coaches at face value when it comes to trades. Jaguars GM James Gladstone spoke to reporters on Thursday and was predictably asked about Thomas. He said they hadn’t received any offers, hadn’t had a lot of dialogue and that “we have no interest in disrupting the momentum” in the passing offense. In another response, he referenced “fraudulent claims” about a trade. Sounds authoritative, right? Here are a couple more general manager quotes from the last month. 

“We love Michael [Pittman]. He’s been here his whole career. He’s a really good player. He’s — he’s got a chance to be a really good player for a long time. The thing with Michael is he’s a pro. He’s a pro. He’s got a great work ethic. He’s got a great attitude. He’s one of those guys that, you know, you love having in your building,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said, via Destin Adams of A to Z Sports, a couple of weeks before he traded Pittman for a ham sandwich. “But, you know, look, Michael’s — Michael’s under contract. Uh, we love Michael. Uh, you know, we’re — we’re excited about what he can do for us moving forward, he’s a big part of what we’re doing here.”

And here’s Raiders GM John Spytek, asked whether he expected Maxx Crosby to be a Raider — before he agreed to trade him to the Ravens. 

“I do,” Spytek said via ESPN. “… Maxx is an elite player, and I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them.”

Notice what all three of these quotes share; none of them come right out and say “we are not trading Player X.” Those are just examples from this year, too. You could go back year after year and pull similar quotes from NFL decision-makers, who are either parsing semantics, dodging the question or just straight-up lying when asked about potential trades. 

Why? We can go back to Gladstone for the answer to that, albeit in the response to a different question. Asked how he feels about all the rumors flying around about Thomas, he said his primary concern is that it’s not a weight on the player, even though it’s not anything he can control. Teams may talk about contracts, picks and assets, but players are human, and uncertainty is a challenge for most humans. Imagine if you were reading speculation online about your job security and whether you’d be abruptly transferred to a different city. You’d need to find a new place to live, new schools for your kids, new friends, all of the stuff that goes into a move. 

That’s why teams won’t feed the trade rumor mill if they can avoid it, as they have to deal with the collateral damage for any deals that don’t happen. 

What Would It Take To Trade Thomas?

The former first-round pick has two years remaining on his rookie contract at a total of $4.9 million, which is incredibly cheap. After that, the Jaguars have a fifth-year option that will be a significant raise, probably well over the $20 million mark, but still potentially a bargain compared to the rest of the market. Even if Thomas continues to stall out, the Jaguars can easily keep him on the roster. 

That’s why I don’t think the Jaguars are “shopping” Thomas or even looking to move off of him. While he took a step back in his second season, he looked like a future star as a rookie, taking 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 scores. At over 6-2 and 209 pounds with 4.3 speed, he’s the kind of receiver you’d build in a lab. You leave the light on for that kind of player. 

But I also don’t think he’s untouchable. Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington established themselves as reliable options in 2025. There’s also the No. 2 overall pick, Travis Hunter, who Jacksonville still has big designs for on both sides of the ball. Thomas might look like the No. 1 receiver getting off the bus, but he didn’t out-target Meyers in a single game they played together last year, and he often fell behind Washington in the hierarchy, too. The Jaguars haven’t played a game with all four receivers healthy yet but Hunter could carve into Thomas’ targets even more. 

If another team comes along with a really strong offer, like a first-round pick or more, I would think the Jaguars would strongly consider it. There are two points in time to watch: the upcoming draft, in which the Jaguars do not have a first-round selection after trading up for Hunter, and the midseason trade deadline. If Thomas is still just mainly running clear-out routes for other pass catchers, the Jaguars might be more open to a move. 

I don’t think the Jaguars have gotten that really strong offer yet. There’s time still for teams to poke, prod and weigh their options. It’s a deep class of wide receiver prospects, and a few notable veterans are hanging around the trade market. There’s some risk in trading for Thomas, as it’s possible his second season is closer to who he is as a professional than his rookie year. But it’s a possibility that I don’t think can be ruled out. 

Potential Landing Spots

New England Patriots

The Patriots’ need for a No. 1 receiver is well-documented. They have been poking around the market for Eagles WR A.J. Brown but so far have not been thrilled with Philadelphia’s steep asking price. They signed WR Romeo Doubs to a strong contract in free agency but he’s more of a complementary player along with the rest of the room as currently composed. They don’t have one player who can do all of the things that Thomas does at a high level. 

Thomas won’t be any cheaper than Brown but the Patriots might be far more amenable to paying up for him given he’s six years younger and tens of millions cheaper. Pairing him with QB Drake Maye, who’s also just 23 and was drafted in 2024, has to be an appealing thought. Thomas’ downfield ability meshes perfectly with Maye’s big arm and accuracy. 

New England has a first-round pick at No. 31 overall and 10 other selections to sweeten the pot with. If they have the appetite for a big swing, this is one that would make a lot of sense. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Let’s say the Eagles do end up trading Brown, probably to the Patriots at this point. They still have WR DeVonta Smith, an accomplished player the team has talked up this offseason as a player they need to get the ball to more. But the rest of the receiving room around Smith would be a massive weakness. Darius Cooper, Johnny Wilson and Britain Covey are the only wideouts on the roster currently, and it’s unclear if TE Dallas Goedert will be back. 

Receiver is a need for the Eagles in the draft even if they don’t trade Brown. If they do, he could use some of that capital to flip for a ready-made replacement who can make more of an instant impact for a Super Bowl-contending team like the Eagles than a rookie. Thomas makes sense as a target. He’s faster than Brown and not as powerful, but both players are at their best on the outside as downfield threats. In that de facto swap, the Eagles wouldn’t lose the deep threat to their offense. 

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have not made a single outside addition yet this offseason, choosing instead to spend a chunk of their available budget on retaining several players on expiring contracts. On the one hand, it makes sense given Denver was so successful as the No. 1 seed last year. If it’s not broke, why fix it? 

On the other hand, Broncos HC Sean Payton and GM George Paton definitely gave the impression that they didn’t want to rest on their laurels this offseason. Denver won a ridiculous number of close games and the offense was just 14th in scoring and 20th in success rate. Those are glaring red flags for regression in 2026 if not addressed. But so far, the Broncos are bringing back the exact same offensive lineup, albeit with OC Davis Webb calling the plays instead of Payton. 

Free agency is fairly tapped out at this point. The draft remains as a likely talent infusion on offense. However, it’s worth noting Payton has a history of making aggressive trades for players he sees as matchup-dictating talents. Thomas might fit that bill given his size and speed combination. The Broncos have struggled to consistently attack down the field and part of the problem is the weaponry. Thomas is at his best there and would be an extremely friendly target for QB Bo Nix. 

Denver has a first-round pick at No. 30 overall and nine total selections. If Jacksonville is willing to trade Thomas within the AFC to a team they might have to beat to get to the Super Bowl, the Broncos could be a potential landing spot. 

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have tried and tried but so far have not successfully been able to replace the dynamic that former WR Tyreek Hill brought to the offense. They have WR Rashee Rice, WR Xavier Worthy and TE Travis Kelce as the leading pass catchers. But Worthy hasn’t been able to transcend a role as a gadget player. Rice is tough to reliably project given his health and off-field concerns, and is entering a contract year. Kelce turns 37 this year. 

Kansas City’s best deep threat last year was Tyquan Thornton, a dollar store version of Thomas. If the Chiefs added the far superior player, they’d have not just another major downfield threat for QB Patrick Mahomes to take advantage of, but a player who can win at other levels of the field as well. The Chiefs are being budget conscious but Thomas isn’t a concern in that area given how cheap his contract is. And the Chiefs do happen to have a bounty of extra picks at their disposal after trading CB Trent McDuffie, including a second first-rounder at No. 29 overall. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have improved significantly this past week, but wide receiver remains a major need even after signing Jalen Nailor to a three-year, $35 million contract. He’s more of a complementary player even if that contract indicates the Raiders think he can do more than he had the opportunity to show in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The same is true for Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton who round out the current Raiders’ receiving room. 

Tucker had a career year with five touchdowns and just under 700 yards in 2025, while Bech and Thornton were rookies who couldn’t get consistent roles. The true No. 1 receiver might be TE Brock Bowers but the Raiders could still use a high-end perimeter receiver to push all of those players down the pecking order into lesser roles they’re more suited for. Thomas would fit the bill there, and the two organizations have already executed one swap involving a receiver when the Raiders dealt Meyers to Jacksonville last year. 

Obviously Las Vegas can’t give up the No. 1 pick and they don’t have other first-round picks after the Maxx Crosby trade fell through. They do have the No. 36 pick at the top of the second round, plus 11 total selections to try and sweeten the pot. It might not be enough, though, especially since the Jaguars have 11 picks themselves. 

Buffalo Bills

Shipley said the Bills were one of the teams that showed some interest in a trade for Thomas earlier this offseason and the organization has a great appreciation for his game. However, they have since pivoted to other plans at receiver, trading a second-round pick for Bears WR D.J. Moore and committing a big chunk of money to him over the next three seasons. 

The team has other needs, too, including a new starting guard to replace David Edwards and a lot of turnover on defense with new DC Jim Leonhard installing a very different scheme. With how top-heavy the roster is, draft picks are incredibly valuable to land cost-controlled starters and contributors, rebalancing the roster ideally. 

However, Thomas still has three years of team control and is much more of a known quantity than a rookie would be. Reports have said the Bills were still interested in adding to their receiver room even after the Moore trade, and they still have their first-round pick to work with at No. 26 overall. Would it be overkill to trade it too for help at receiver? Possibly. Is GM Brandon Beane desperate enough to do it anyway? 

Possibly. 

Washington Commanders

After swinging a couple of trades for veterans that didn’t pan out in 2025, it seems like the Commanders are trying to swing back toward more of an emphasis on youth. They’ve been active in free agency but have focused less on experienced options and more on adding athleticism. There’s been little trade buzz around them, at least in terms of sending out more draft picks. 

But a trade for Thomas wouldn’t fit the mold of deals for guys like WR Deebo Samuel or CB Marshon Lattimore. It would be acquiring a player still on his rookie contract who has a chance to be a part of the long-term core alongside QB Jayden Daniels. Wide receiver remains one of Washington’s top needs, with a thin depth chart outside of Terry McLaurin, who might be in his final season in Washington. A trade for Thomas would be a trade for the future.