A prominent Jacksonville Jaguars player continued to lose reps in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans. Brian Thomas Jr. didn't see the field for the entire second half of a Week 6 division showdown at Wembley Stadium. The 2024 Pro Bowl wide receiver has now gone two straight games without a catch and has just 105 yards and a touchdown in six games this season.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen sent an emphatic message after the game when asked about regaining confidence in Thomas. "Guys have to step up and make plays," Coen said, per Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. Thomas went from gaining 1,282 yards in a breakout rookie campaign to 707 last year, and his role has diminished even more drastically this season.
The 24-year-old has played in just 43% of the offense's snaps, catching nine of 20 targets. With Thomas taking a back seat, Travis Hunter handled more receiving reps a week after focusing exclusively on defense. The two-way star caught all four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns in a shootout loss.
Thomas falling further out of favor could lead to louder chatter about the Jaguars moving him before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote Monday that "a lot of people around the league" think Jacksonville will deal the former first-round pick. However, Lawrence said it's important to implement Thomas more moving forward.
"Just keep playing and let the ball find you," Lawrence said of Thomas, via Action Sports Jax. "I think that's the big thing, just don't try to chase too much. Obviously, we need to get him involved more.
We're going to need him."
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