Jacksonville Jaguars fans held their breath during Tuesday's joint practice with the Buccaneers as wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. injured his left shoulder after hitting the ground hard on a deep touchdown catch. He hauled in the reception on the first play of 11-on-11 drills but landed awkwardly on his shoulder and missed the rest of Tuesday's practice. As the team's most dangerous offensive weapon, it was a scary sight for Jags fans.
But head coach Liam Coen downplayed the severity of the injury afterward. "I think it's all right," Coen told reporters. "Just came down on his shoulder.
Holding him out was smart, keep him out and then get him going for Cleveland." The Jaguars have their final preseason game against Tampa Bay on Friday before their regular season kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Browns. More news: Colts Get Good News on $114 Million Man Alec Pierce Thomas is entering a critical, potentially make-or-break season in Jacksonville. The former first-round pick in 2024 out of LSU broke out as a rookie, hauling in 87 catches on 133 targets for 1,282 yards (third-most in the NFL) and 10 touchdowns.
His numbers outpaced Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Ladd McConkey — three other top rookies from that draft class — and made it feel like he was about to cement himself as one of the NFL's next elite wideouts. Then last season happened. He cut his numbers in half, finishing with 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns despite appearing in 14 games.
What's worse is that Thomas didn't even look like the best receiver in Jacksonville, let alone the NFL, with former sixth-round pick Parker Washington outpacing him — 847 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 58 catches. More news: Browns’ Next QB Battle Set for Preseason Finale vs Patriots More news: Matt LaFleur Sends Lighthearted Warning to Brother Mike LaFleur Trade rumors have swirled around Thomas since last season. Even though the Jaguars have made it clear they don't want to trade him, he needs to rebound this season if he wants to stay in Jacksonville.
The fact that he appears to have avoided the worst on Tuesday is a good sign, and with only two weeks to go before the regular season kicks off, it's probably wise to keep him rested for now.
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