How the Jaguars View Brian Thomas Jr. Entering 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars had a lot of things go right for them in 2025, but there are certainly some areas they will hope to improve in 2026 as they make another run at the AFC South and the playoffs.

Amongst those areas of focus for the Jaguars will surely be the connection with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. After a record-breaking season as a rookie, Thomas saw a steady dip in production in 2025 and was closer to 500 yards than he was to another 1,000-yard season. So, where do the Jaguars and Thomas go from here?

Jaguars On Thomas

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone were each asked how they thought Thomas fit into their future plans, and the duo each said in their own way that he is a part of their vision for the upcoming season.

But in terms of how the offense is structured, it does not appear the Jaguars are still in step with their proclomation from the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. In the early days of the new regime, they said the passing game would go through Thomas. After the addition of Jakobi Meyers and a breakout season from Parker Washington, though, things have changed.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) walks off the field after losing to the Bills during an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yeah, I think you point to wins and losses as really what it comes down to. When you're part of a team that wins, typically that wealth is shared, so it's never truly going to be about one player," Coen said on Wednesday.

"I continue to pour into every single one of these guys as will [Wide Receivers Coach] Edgar Bennett and as will [Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski] Grant and as will our entire staff continue to pour into guys to try to get the most out of them to help our team win as many games as humanly possible and B.T. will 100 percent be a part of that."

brian thoma — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I’m glad you asked that, and I think I can point back to the question about wide receiver one. The cool thing about our offensive system, and this is my observation and Liam can dive into the details, is each and every game presents a different problem for an opponent. You never know who it is that's going to pop off," Gladstone said.

"You look back at the output of the collective. We had three receivers go over 700 yards. That's abnormal. That's not typical. To be able to spread the wealth, so to speak, is a really positive thing. With Jakobi’s [WR Jakobi Meyers] arrival, it certainly allowed B.T. [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] to continue to level up in areas that fit within the system itself that were fit for his skill set and allowed him to be the best version of himself down that back stretch of the season."

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