The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off maybe their worst loss of the year. As they gave up 26 unanswered points to the Houston Texans, who were without their starting quarterback, C.J. Stroud, their lead in the AFC South was evaporating in lightning-quick fashion.
Now out of the playoff race, the situation worsened with an update confirming that their superstar rookie, selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Travis Hunter, has been declared out for the season. With their chance of a postseason berth slipping away, the fan base’s attention turned to their WR1, Brian Thomas Jr.
Will Brian Thomas Jr. Play Against the Chargers?
A sensational rookie season saw Thomas emerge as one of the league’s top weapons. Even though he was quarterbacked by backup Mac Jones for most of the year, the numbers were eye-popping.
Unfortunately, under a new head coach and system, as well as Trevor Lawrence’s underwhelming performance, the wide receiver has seen a drop in numbers. Add in some uncharacteristic dropped passes, and the difference from his rookie season to this year is stark. However, still regarded as their biggest weapon on offense, he remains integral to their operation.
His absence played a major role in the loss to Houston, as the Jaguars failed to score a single point in a historic fourth-quarter collapse. Missing the game due to an ankle injury suffered in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9, his status against the Los Angeles Chargers remains uncertain before the Jaguars’ first practice.
Still listed as questionable, his availability at practice could go a long way in determining his presence on the field against the Los Angeles Rams. The fourth-ranked wide receiver on PFSN’s WR Impact last season, he has fallen to 63rd this year.
That drop was blatantly obvious to anyone looking at the raw numbers. On pace for 893 receiving yards and two touchdowns over a full 17-game season, compared to 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, his catch percentage at 50% has been one of the more baffling developments of the season.
If Jacksonville wants to get back on track and make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, then they need better numbers from BTJ. Thankfully, the sophomore has the perfect opportunity to wash off the scent of the start of the year in the closing stretch.