Jaguars weigh Brian Thomas Jr. trade as Giants loom

This one came out of nowhere for anyone who remembers Thomas as a Pro Bowl rookie. Here's how Fowler put it Saturday morning:

Jeremy Fowler

@JFowlerESPN

Multiple league execs believe Jacksonville will seriously consider trading Brian Thomas Jr. at the deadline now that his role has decreased

Jeremy Fowler

@JFowlerESPN

-Today big for Lamar Jackson, whom source calls ‘50/50’ -Mayfield tries to spark Bucs -Jacobs prepped for Wk 7 -A few names to watch at deadline @SportsCenter with @garystriewski t.co/LgHjZz63wz

The key phrase is "now that his role has decreased." Bleacher Report, writing up Fowler's reporting, says Jacksonville had held off on trading Thomas in the past because of how talented he is, and that the Jags have now "relented." Fowler also pointed out that Thomas had no catches and only 15 snaps in the London game against Houston. That's a former 1st-round receiver who's basically been benched.

The drop has been fast. Thomas had 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl. Last year he fell to 48 catches, 707 yards and 2 scores, and his trade value went down with those numbers. A guy who looked untouchable 18 months ago is now the kind of player people link to every contender that needs a receiver. Bleacher Report has the Chiefs and Steelers among the teams in that market.

Then the Giants' beat writer joined in, and the story suddenly made a lot more sense in New York:

Jordan Raanan

@JordanRaanan

Now that is an interesting name! Brian Thomas Jr. is also extremely close to Malik Nabers.

Jeremy Fowler

@JFowlerESPN

Multiple league execs believe Jacksonville will seriously consider trading Brian Thomas Jr. at the deadline now that his role has decreased

The Nabers connection is real. Thomas and Nabers played together at LSU from 2021 through 2023, and in that last season they combined for 157 catches, 2,746 yards and 31 touchdowns. On top of that, Giants receivers coach Chad Hall coached Thomas in Jacksonville in 2024, which was his best season. A team with Nabers as WR1 that's looking for someone across from him couldn't ask for a better fit, at least on paper.

There is pushback. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero has said the Jaguars have "shown no interest" in moving Thomas despite periodic calls, and The Athletic's Jonathan Jones reported he isn't on the trade block. So we've got one reporter saying execs expect a serious look and two saying Jacksonville isn't shopping him. Those can both be true, and that's normally how deadline deals come together: a team says no until somebody makes an offer they like.

The deadline is November 10, so there are a little over 2 weeks for this to go somewhere. If Jacksonville keeps cutting his snaps, the price keeps dropping, and some team is going to want a 2024 Pro Bowler at a discount. If the Giants want to put Nabers' college teammate back next to him, now is the time to make the call.