In Week 9, Brian Thomas Jr. and the Jacksonville Jaguars secured a close game against the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 30-29. The offense found its rhythm and was humming for the majority of the game, despite being ranked 21st in PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact metrics.
Despite the victory, a cloud loomed over the Jaguars’ wide receiver room. In overtime, Thomas Jr. injured his ankle and didn’t play the rest of the game. Coincidentally, ahead of the trade deadline, the Jaguars traded for a receiver from the Raiders, Jakobi Meyers.
Will Brian Thomas Jr. Play in Week 10?
As the Jaguars’ Week 10 game against the Houston Texans approaches, Thomas Jr.’s status remains unknown. The team has provided no definitive update, and his availability will likely depend on how he responds to recovery throughout the week. However, sources have posted their opinions online about Thomas Jr.’s availability this week.
According to his sources, Adam Schefter reports that Thomas Jr. is dealing with a low-grade ankle sprain, but still has a chance to play this week.
As of Thursday, Thomas Jr. had not returned to practice, which is not ideal for his chances of playing this week. The Jaguars’ wide receiver room has become thin in a very short span. Losing Travis Hunter is a bad break for the Jaguars, yet it serves as a reason for the Meyers trade.
An ankle sprain is always tricky, particularly when it involves a wide receiver, who often needs to make quick, sharp cuts that put significant stress on their ankles. Describing the situation as “Has a chance to play this week” suggests the team might try to manage the injury rather than shut him down. However, can he still be effective in a limited role?
Then, there is Dr. Jesse Morse, a Sports Medicine Physician on social media. Morse describes himself as an “NFL injury expert” and dedicates his social media to examining NFL injuries, and he did so for Thomas Jr.
Based on the footage of the injury, he concludes that it couldn’t have been overly severe, given that Thomas Jr. stayed in the game for a few plays before leaving.
However, the “average missed time for a WR with a high-ankle sprain is 2.8 games. So his missing Week 10 is very possible.”
Overall, there is a chance that Thomas Jr. will play this week, given that the injury is not severe. However, given the average missed time for a wide receiver with the same injury, his absence wouldn’t be a shock. Thus, the data suggest that Thomas Jr. may have to miss Week 10.