The writing is not only on the wall, but it's a blinding shade of neon, and it's suggesting that Brian Thomas Jr.'s tenure in Jacksonville is nearing its end. Week 6 may have been the unofficial nail in the coffin for any thought of the former first-round wideout being able to tap back into the magic from his rookie season with the franchise, as he was essentially benched in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Texans. 

Thomas failed to bring in either of his two targets, including a brutal drop on the opening possession of the game. Then, after logging 15 first-half snaps in the first half, Thomas logged zero over the final two quarters. This was the second straight game where Thomas was held without a reception (five total targets). 

To make matters even more dire for Thomas, Travis Hunter has started to emerge at receiver. As Thomas sat on the sideline for the second half, Hunter caught three balls for 40 yards and a touchdown over that span, and finished his day with a total of four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Those totals from Hunter in Week 6 are effectively half of Thomas' entire season-long production to this point (9 catches, 105 yards and a touchdown).  

"Just week to week. Week to week. Guys have to step up and make plays," coach Liam Coen said postgame when asked about his confidence in Thomas, via Jacksonville.com.

In the wake of Week 6, Hunter has certainly warranted a larger share in the offense alongside fellow receivers Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, while Thomas is clearly fading. With Hunter's emergence, Thomas's second-half benching, and Jacksonville entering the bye in Week 7, it creates a perfect storm for the organization to truly reevaluate its receiving corps. If they come to the conclusion that they're better off elevating Hunter to a more prominent role and making Thomas' demotion permanent, they'd be better off moving him.

With that in mind, all eyes look toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline and whether or not the pass catcher will be moved by that juncture. If so, let's identify some logical trade destinations. 

Brian Thomas Jr. landing spots

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are reeling a bit after losing three straight, dropping to .500 on the season. That said, this is still a competitive club that is in the early stages of its rebuild under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. While there will always be an eye towards truly contending in the years to come, I think it'd be wise to roll the dice with Thomas here. The receiver room in Las Vegas is relatively thin, with Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, and Cody White currently headlining the room. Thomas would be a massive talent upgrade, and Kubiak could be the type of offensive mind capable of tapping back into something close to what we saw out of him as a rookie. 

Beyond 2026, this would also be a savvy pursuit for Las Vegas. Thomas not only gives them a possible boost this season, but if he can revive his career, it's suddenly another star weapon for Fernando Mendoza whenever he steps into the starting role. A skill position group headlined by Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Thomas Jr., with Mendoza pulling the strings, has potential. 

Miami Dolphins

This is another team that I think could take a calculated swing at Thomas. In any other scenario, the Dolphins are nothing close to a buyer at this trade deadline, and will likely be seen as a seller after beginning the year 0-5 and showing no signs of turning it around. That said, in a very similar vein to what we discussed with the Raiders, the Dolphins could look to try and bring Thomas in, hope that a change of scenery does him good, and suddenly the franchise has a No. 1 receiver they got on the cheap. Then, they can pair him with whichever quarterback they decide to take high atop the 2027 NFL Draft. It's a buy for the future, not for 2026. 

Kansas City Chiefs

It almost feels like a contractual obligation to include the Chiefs in any sort of fun trade rumor, particularly when it comes to someone on the offensive side of the ball. While it feels chalky, there's a reason for it. Kansas City could use another weapon at receiver, especially with Rashee Rice (hamstring) missing time. Xavier Worthy picked up the slack in Week 6 with a seven-catch, 73-yard showing in the win over the Chargers, but the next most productive receiver on Sunday was Cyrus Allen, who had two catches for 27 yards. 

If there were any combination with the best shot at getting Thomas back to his 2024 version, it's Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. With K.C. at 5-0 and firmly in the Super Bowl conversation, it's an obvious buying opportunity. 

Seattle Seahawks

I expect the Seahawks offense to stabilize once they get Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price back healthy, making the running game a more reliable part of their attack. That said, I do think the one-man show of Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a little unsustainable when it comes to their title defense. 

So far this season, Smith-Njigba has accounted for 35% of Seattle's scrimmage yards, which is the highest rate by any WR in NFL history. He's also accounted for 49% of the team's receiving yards and 63% of their fourth-quarter receiving yards through six weeks. Smith-Njigba has played at an elite level and produced well with that heavy workload, but I wonder if it'd do Seattle some good to have another weapon to account for. If they pursued Thomas, maybe it would diversify the offense a bit more and make them less of a predictable pitch-and-catch unit between Sam Darnold and Smith-Njigba. 

When not targeting Smith-Njigba this season, Darnold is completing 54.8% of his passes for 5.6 yards per attempt, four passing touchdowns, five interceptions, and has a passer rating of 63.8. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Whenever you think Howie Roseman is going to zig, he'll zag. Wouldn't it be just like the Eagles GM to make a move for Brian Thomas Jr. when everyone in the world thinks he's liable to start selling pieces at the deadline with his team 2-4 on the year and Jalen Hurts (blood clot) on injured reserve for at least three more games? 

Even when everyone is healthy, Philly could use another receiving weapon, and Thomas is just the type of buy-low talent that Roseman has historically pounced on. Then, when Thomas is looking like his rookie self, we're all left mesmerized by how the league let Roseman land him.