If the Kansas City Chiefs are serious about shopping for a wide receiver ahead of the NFL's trade deadline set for November 10, they're likely to be disappointed to hear that Brian Thomas Jr. is not available on the shelf.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are fresh off of a Thursday Night Football win over the Baltimore Ravens, and at 6-2, have to feel pretty good about their chances to truly contend in the AFC. That winning posture changes the team's willingness to sell useful pieces at the deadline, especially to other contenders.
The latest report on Brian Thomas Jr.
That's what NFL reporter James Palmer was saying after the Jags' 33-10 victory in Week 9. Not only is the team shopping for defensive line help, but any notion that they're interested in sending Thomas out of town for future draft assets might be misunderstood.
"I'm expecting teams to call James Gladstone, their general manager," said Palmer. "Now this game is in the books, but I don't believe their stance has changed. They're not in the business as a Super Bowl contender to give away valuable pieces like Brian Thomas Jr. Even if their role has changed, it still seems more likely that they hang on to him as opposed to sending him elsewhere."
The Jags' luxury position
Palmer's report could be a smokescreen intended to up the ante for interested teams in Thomas. But Gladstone is not wrong to push such a narrative. The Jaguars have all the leverage in any exchange for the young wideout, and the idea of keeping him instead of trading him makes perfect sense as well.
Thomas was the Jags' first-round pick as recently as 2024, and his off-the-charts rookie campaign is exactly why any team like K.C. would be interested in acquiring him. His rookie line of 87-1,282-10 made him a first-year Pro Bowler and he finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, however, his totals have fallen precipitously to a meager 10-117-2 line in the first half of the '26 campaign.
At this point, the Jags would be selling low on Thomas, and while desperate teams might be willing to pay a bit more for the promise displayed two seasons ago, there's only so far that will get them. With their title aspirations, Jacksonville might be best served keeping Thomas around for short-term depth and the chance to unlock his potential down the road.
The Chiefs should still try
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, as the ol' Wayne Gretzky saying goes, and the Chiefs would be foolish not to at least pick up the phone. Palmer expects as much, per his report, and anticipates Gladstone will be fielding calls until next Tuesday's deadline.
For the Chiefs, the lack of a vertical field-stretcher after Tyquan Thornton's ankle injury has limited the offense more than most would have anticipated. Rashee Rice has also struggled to stay on the field with a hamstring injury, and thus far, none of the team's younger players have stepped up to claim a more important role. It's also true that someone like Cyrus Allen hasn't been given the reps to do so.
A third-round pick seems to be the floor for projections involving Thomas (e.g., Daniel Popper's column at The Athletic), but Palmer's report might indicate having to go a bit higher—perhaps adding a second pick. The Chiefs have hopes of selecting near the bottom of each round, so that might make any idea of trading Thomas to K.C. even less appealing for the Jags, not to mention the whole fellow AFC contender thing.
Thomas' suspect production is concerning, and the fact that his name has even surfaced in trade speculation should be a little startling, given the level of initial investment. But K.C. needs someone who can force defenses to respect the deeper parts of the field, which opens things up for Kenneth Walker and company to maximize the damage. Unfortunately, it seems as if they might have fewer options to fix that issue than anticipated.
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