Steelers' Brian Thomas Jr Trade Idea Gets Strong Support From Insider After Jaguars Bench Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers have watched one of the most intriguing receiver trade possibilities become considerably more interesting in less than a week. Jacksonville appeared to have every reason to keep its former first-round selection, even with his disappointing production. Then came a Sunday when the receiver barely played, followed by a noticeable change in tone from someone who had previously defended the Jaguars' reasons to keep him. Pittsburgh suddenly has a much better reason to revisit the conversation.

Aditi Kinkhabwala is reconsidering her earlier skepticism about Pittsburgh pursuing Brian Thomas Jr.. During a recent discussion, she acknowledged that his shrinking role with the Jacksonville Jaguars makes a trade more plausible than she believed last week, although she stressed that she has no firsthand confirmation Jacksonville will entertain offers.

“You know what, but I don't actually have the evidence. I just have from afar what it looks like. But soon I will hopefully have more firsthand information. But perhaps yes, if patience has run short, if that chemistry has just not developed between Brian Thomas Jr. and Trevor Lawrence ... Maybe Brian Thomas Jr. could be had,” Kinkhabwala said.

Just days earlier, Kinkhabwala argued Jacksonville couldn't afford to lose the one receiver capable of consistently threatening defenses vertically. Her previous assessment had legitimate football logic behind it. Losing a dangerous deep target can shrink the field even when that player isn't catching passes every Sunday.

The Jaguars have now given everyone reason to question how much they value that threat themselves. Thomas played only 15 offensive snaps in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans, all in the first half. He was targeted twice, caught nothing and watched the final two quarters from the sideline. That isn't a receiver getting a few fewer looks. It's a former No. 23 overall pick becoming a spectator while his team tries to win.

Head Coach Liam Coen did little to remove the uncertainty afterward, describing playing time as a week-to-week evaluation and emphasizing the need for players to produce. Thomas has nine receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown through six games. Two consecutive games without a catch have made an already disappointing start look even worse.

Meanwhile, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers have become prominent targets, and Travis Hunter saw his offensive role expand against Houston. Jacksonville can continue emphasizing Thomas' importance, but its actual deployment is beginning to tell a different story.

Kinkhabwala raised the possibility that Thomas simply hasn't found the same connection with Trevor Lawrence that he previously enjoyed with Mac Jones. That is her interpretation, not an established explanation for the benching. Both quarterbacks started games during Thomas' outstanding 2024 rookie season, and the decline since then has happened alongside coaching and personnel changes.

The production from that rookie year is still difficult to ignore: 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns under former head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville drafted Thomas to stress defenses downfield, and he immediately proved he could do it against NFL competition. No amount of ugly October film makes those catches disappear.

That background explains why Kinkhabwala's opinion has shifted toward Pittsburgh making the call. She praised Thomas' professionalism and approach, noting that his monster rookie season came in a different offense from the one Coen runs today. She also believes General Manager James Gladstone is capable of making bold personnel decisions when he thinks they serve Jacksonville.

“I am a big fan of his. I think if he is available for the getting and the price works within what the Steelers are willing to spend, then sure. Yes. Absolutely,” Kinkhabwala said.

There is still a substantial obstacle: Gladstone previously rejected speculation that Thomas was available, and there has been no confirmed report that Jacksonville has changed that stance. Kinkhabwala wasn't reporting a trade request, a price or an invitation to negotiate. Her position is more measured, and more useful: recent playing-time decisions make an idea she once dismissed worth testing.

For Pittsburgh, the timing is difficult to ignore. Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are on Injured Reserve, leaving DK Metcalf and rookie Germie Bernard carrying additional responsibility. Bernard has earned his role, but the Steelers shouldn't confuse his emergence with a fully healthy, well-stocked receiving corps.

Thomas would be more than a temporary replacement. At 24, he remains under contract for 2027, and Jacksonville holds the usual fifth-year option for a 2024 first-round selection. Adding his speed opposite Metcalf could force defenses to rethink how freely they shade help toward one side. It would also demand a much more serious trade price than Pittsburgh might pay for an injury replacement.

Steelers Should Investigate Thomas Without Chasing A Fantasy

My view is that Omar Khan should call Jacksonville, but he should be prepared for a quick no. A talented receiver sitting for an entire half is too unusual to overlook when Pittsburgh is dealing with this many injuries. Still, buying low only works if the selling team agrees the player's value has fallen.

It would be a mistake to pay for Thomas' full rookie-year production while assuming a new uniform automatically repairs whatever has gone wrong. The same traits that make him attractive could also make Jacksonville unwilling to part with him. Pittsburgh needs to establish a reasonable ceiling on its offer and keep examining other receivers if that number doesn't interest the Jaguars.

Kinkhabwala has already made the most telling adjustment: she no longer thinks Thomas staying put is the only sensible outcome. That gives the Steelers a reason to check the price. It doesn't mean somebody in Jacksonville has decided to put one on him.

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