Brian Thomas Jr.’s rookie season gave Jacksonville a glimpse of a receiver worth building around. Mike Florio believes the Jaguars are still pricing him that way while barely using him.

With Thomas’ role shrinking and trade speculation following him, Florio questioned how long Jacksonville can expect another team to pay for the version of the receiver it has struggled to get back.

Mike Florio Calls Out Jaguars Over Brian Thomas Jr.’s Situation

During “Pro Football Talk,” Florio argued that Jacksonville’s approach to Thomas makes increasingly little sense. In his view, the Jaguars want compensation that reflects the receiver’s impressive 2024 production while giving potential buyers less reason to believe he can still command that kind of price.

“The farther we get removed from that, the more unreasonable that looks,”Florio said.

He then sharpened his criticism:

“But because they’re the Jaguars, no one’s going to call them out for basically holding this guy hostage. I mean, that’s kind of what they’re doing until someone offers them, you know, I don’t know what they want. Do they want a two? I don’t know.”

Florio’s reference to a second-round pick was speculation. He acknowledged that he did not know Jacksonville’s asking price.

His larger point concerned the incentives for interested teams. If Thomas continues to play a limited role, Florio sees little reason for a buyer to rush into meeting a premium price.

“If you’re waiting for Brian Thomas Jr. to be available, time is on your side because they’re not using him. And the whole thing is just strange,” he said.

Florio also suggested the situation would receive considerably more scrutiny in a larger NFL market: “If they were the Dallas Cowboys and this was going on, it would be the A-block of every show on ESPN every day of the week.”

Thomas’ Declining Production Gives Jacksonville a Difficult Decision

The contrast with Thomas’ rookie year is substantial. He caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. Through six games this season, he has nine catches for 105 yards and one touchdown.

His most recent appearance made the questions louder. Against Houston in Week 6, Thomas failed to catch either of his two targets during 15 first-half snaps and did not play after halftime. Jacksonville then entered its bye week with the receiver’s role unresolved.

Thetrade speculation surrounding Thomas has persisted even as Jacksonville has publicly supported him. Earlier this month, reports indicated that teams had expressed interest, but the Jaguars had shown no desire to move him.

More recent reporting has added some uncertainty: League executives reportedly believe Jacksonville could seriously consider a deal, and Fowler reported Oct. 28 that executives were “sensing the end” for Thomas in Jacksonville, even though the Jaguars had shown no signs of engaging in trade talks as of Oct. 25.

Head coach Liam Coen offered another supportive assessment Wednesday ahead of the Indianapolis game.

“I fully anticipate he’s going to make plays for us this Sunday,” Coen said. He also explained that playing time can depend on which receivers are producing during a game.

That leaves Jacksonville with a practical test of its confidence. A productive afternoon would give Thomas something to build on and the Jaguars fresh evidence for keeping him involved.

Another quiet game would leave Florio’s question hanging over the situation. How much can Jacksonville reasonably demand for a receiver it keeps struggling to find a place for?