The Jacksonville Jaguars meeting the Los Angeles Rams should have given them a chance to truly cement themselves as one of the elite teams in the NFL, but the first half did not go even remotely according to plan. Despite missing Puka Nacua, the Rams thoroughly dominated en route to a 21-0 lead after three quarters.
The fourth quarter saw them dial it up once again, adding 14 more points to the board. On the other hand, the Jaguars were trying to keep an ultra-aggressive mentality in a bid to get back into the game. Unfortunately, that mindset brought a potentially big blow to the team, as Brian Thomas Jr. went down with what looks like a potentially severe injury.
What Happened to Brian Thomas Jr.?
After Travis Hunter recorded his first career touchdown reception, Jacksonville wanted to keep its foot on the gas. As a result, as they tried to build another drive down the field, it unfortunately came at the cost of Thomas.
It was rather sudden, as there was barely any contact before he came off the field clutching his right shoulder. Immediately taken out of the game, it is tough to predict what the nature of his ailment is at this point in time.
Brian Thomas Jr. exits with an apparent right shoulder injury😔 #Jaguars #Rams #NFL #LARvsJAX pic.twitter.com/qxvP0TTYrF
— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) October 19, 2025
For the game, unfortunately, his slow start to the 2025 season continued. Catching just three of seven targets toward him, he only managed 31 receiving yards to his credit. It continued a cold streak, with a huge issue of drops, that has plagued him all year.
It has been a key reason for his drop in PFSN’s WR Impact, where he ranked fourth among all receivers last season, but has fallen all the way to 60th this year.
For the Jaguars, though, a scary opinion came to light via social media. For internet sleuths, it was easy to figure out that the shoulder that seemed to be injured was the same one that BTJ had dislocated back in college.
“Not much seen here on video, but the concerning part is that this is the same shoulder (Right) that he dislocated in college and landed directly onto in June this year,” wrote Jeff Mueller, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, on X. “Likely has a labral tear that he’s been playing through.”
At this point, that is pure speculation at best. But if it turns out to be true, then Jacksonville could be without its WR1 for an extended period of time. Even if he hasn’t had the best of starts to the 2025 season, that would be a seismic blow to a team with clear playoff aspirations.
Brian Thomas Jr.’s Fantasy Outlook
Inexplicably, Thomas remained in the game with the Jaguars down 28 points with under four minutes remaining. Obviously, with the game well in hand, this injury has no impact on Week 7.
Going forward, though, it remains to be seen whether Thomas will have to miss time. The good news is the Jaguars are coming up on their bye week, which will afford Thomas two full weeks to recover.
If he cannot play when they return in Week 9, Travis Hunter would likely be asked to do more on offense. He had the best game of his young career in London, catching his first career touchdown. Dyami Brown and Parker Washington would see increased snaps if Thomas cannot play.
