Brian Thomas Jr. endured a tough day at the office in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Thomas was targeted a team-high 12 times but managed four catches for 49 yards in the defeat. Part of the reason for his lackluster stat line? He had a few crucial drops throughout the contest, including one on a key fourth down late in the game.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen was asked about Thomas’ effort after the game, and specifically whether he believed the second-year receiver was ‘shying away from some contact.’
‘I gotta go watch it and just go figure out what that was all about and what it looked like,’ Coen responded. ‘Yeah, I got to go take a look at that.’
Coen’s comment is far from a condemnation of Thomas. But certainly, it seems like the first-year coach was frustrated with his talented, young playmaker – and Jacksonville’s offense, in general – after the team’s loss to the Bengals.
Thomas was a star for the Jaguars as rookie, generating 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season. Thus far in 2025, he has just five catches for 60 yards, putting him on pace for 42.5 catches and 510 yards over a 17-game season.
Thomas will look to post a better line, and avoid drops, in Week 3, when the Jaguars host the Houston Texans in a battle of AFC South rivals.