New England Patriots
Thomas might have had a down year in 2025, but he has major upside if he becomes available.
Brian Thomas Jr.’s status with the Jaguars could make him an intriguing trade option for the Patriots. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
COMMENTARY
No two names have dominated the Patriots’ rumor mill more than Alec Pierce and A.J. Brown over the first few weeks of the NFL offseason. And for good reason.
Brown has seemingly been a dream trade candidate for the better part of two years, and that was heightened when Mike Vrabel took over the keys to Foxborough this time last year. Pierce, on the other hand, exploded in 2025 with his most productive season of pro ball, instantly becoming one of the top free agents this offseason.
Either of those names would make New England’s receiver room multitudes better. But one other name has been thrown around that might just be even more intriguing: Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas is only entering his third season in the NFL. Few players are ever traded on their rookie contracts, and considering what Thomas’s rookie year looked like, he’d be an easy receiver to gamble on for the Patriots.
New England still has Drake Maye on a rookie contract. Adding Thomas, who eclipsed 1,300 scrimmage yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 2024 and is only on the books for $4 million in 2026 (per Over The Cap), would give Vrabel and Eliot Wolf a ton of flexibility to stack the roster around their young core and make another playoff run.
Thomas’s deal is essentially house money. Even if he never returns to his rookie form, he only has two more years on his deal at a low cost, and that isn’t counting if the Patriots pick up his fifth-year option. They’d still have enough cap available to add a receiver alongside him if they needed to decrease his workload.
On the other hand, if he immediately explodes in year three, they’d still have an entire year left to negotiate an extension with Thomas without the worry of losing him in free agency.
Of course, Thomas wasn’t a better receiver than Brown or Pierce this past season. But his upside is closer than it might appear after his disappointing sophomore campaign.
The main difference: Brown already got paid big money, and Pierce is set to command a huge money deal as well. Landing either would cost New England a major chunk of its spending power and lessen the chances it will be able to invest in other positions of need.
Landing Thomas might cost the Patriots a high draft pick, but it’ll also give them the freedom to invest in a tight end like Massachusetts’ own Isaiah Likely, as well as another pass rusher or veteran offensive lineman.
It’s still unclear if the Jaguars would actually consider moving on from Thomas. But if they do, New England should be all-in on those sweepstakes.
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