A spectacular rookie season saw Brian Thomas Jr. establish himself as among the best wide receivers in the entire league, regardless of experience. With Trevor Lawrence back to full health and a new offensive-minded head coach in Liam Coen at the helm, the hope was that he could unlock another gear in Year 2.
So far this year, though, that hasn’t come to pass. His numbers have remained pedestrian at best, even as the team has found success in spite of his regression. To make matters worse, the sophomore had to check out of their Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders with an injury, which has put his status this week into jeopardy.
Will Brian Thomas Jr. Play Against the Texans?
The Jacksonville Jaguars took some big swings in the offseason. Appointing a new general manager and head coach, the hope was that things could turn around in a major way for the franchise with a fresh beginning. Through the first nine weeks of the season, that hope has come to pass. A 5-3 record has them firmly in the playoff picture. However, their path to success has been a little more confusing.
Rather than excelling on offense, where they made key investments, the defense has been the key to their success. The offense has been underwhelming for sure, with the biggest disappointment arising in the form of Thomas himself.
Tallying 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his debut campaign, he finished with an unbelievable fourth rank on PFSN’s WR Impact. This year, as the dropped passes have increased to a league-high number of nine, he has fallen to 63rd place.
That drop has been accompanied by a dramatic dip in production as well, as he has just 420 receiving yards and a touchdown through eight games. Now, an injury could further hamper proceedings for him.
In Week 9, an ankle sprain caused him to come out in the fourth quarter and miss the entirety of overtime. While Jacksonville was able to come away with the victory, Thomas remains uncertain for Week 10.
Unfortunately, the latest updates from out of practice didn’t help the chances of the superstar wide receiver suiting up against a divisional rival, the Houston Texans, much optimism. A non-participant on both Wednesday and Thursday, his status was trending towards being inactives.
On Friday, NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed that Thomas will not play in Week 10 for the Jaguars.
With Houston without starting quarterback C.J. Stroud for the game, the Jaguars are exercising caution with Thomas Jr. and are giving him some extra time to recover. With the postseason firmly in view, their outlook and planning for the season must be more precautionary.
