Coen: BTJ ‘alright’ after injury scare

Thomas exited Week 1 after reaggravating a shoulder injury he dealt with in the days leading up to Sunday’s game. He returned to finish out the game, so it’s not all too surprising to hear that Coen expects him to be good to go for next week’s game against the Broncos. Thomas’ 14 routes run in Sunday’s win over the Browns ranked third most among Jags receivers in a game where the leading route runner (Jakobi Meyers) ran only 20 routes in a game that Jacksonville controlled all afternoon. Thomas will be hard to trust as anything more than a WR3 in next week’s game against the Broncos.

Thomas got off to a fast start, making a toe-tap catch on the Jaguars’ first drive and catching all three of his targets in the first quarter. He hurt his shoulder diving for a fumble and exited the game in the first half. Though Thomas returned in the second half, the Jaguars had a monstrous lead and he saw no targets the rest of the game. Based on first half utilization, Thomas is the team’s No. 2 wide receiver and should get plenty of opportunities in a fantasy-fruitful offense. He is a fantasy WR3 for Week 2 against the Broncos.

Thomas exited in the second quarter against the Browns with a shoulder issue. He had three receptions prior to his exit and is questionable to return. Rookie Josh Cameron will see more opportunities while Thomas is out.

BTJ suffered a shoulder injury late in camp and has dealt with shoulder issues in the past, so this latest scare was a definite concern for fantasy managers and Jags fans alike. The good news is that he’s practicing in full over a week before the first game of the season. After a summer of hype for Parker Washington, Thomas Jr. is likely second in the pecking order for targets. Barring a setback with the shoulder injury, he should project for WR3 numbers in Jacksonville’s opener versus the Browns.

This might not matter, but it is worth noting. The Florida Times-Union recently reported that Jaguars WR Jakobi Meyers (thumb) is sidelined, as is WR Brian Thomas (shoulder). Both picked up minor injuries recently, but according to Shipley, the team does not “seem overly concerned” about either issue. Cameron and fellow sixth-round rookie WR CJ Williams have had good training camps. Cameron is evidently the name to know for waiver wire purposes in-season.

To be clear, Thomas is the starting X-receiver and Hunter is rotating in behind him. Hunter has also been taking more defensive snaps lately, so if he is going to maintain an offensive role, a simplified downfield role makes sense. Regarding Thomas, DiRocco adds that he “was arguably the best player on the field” during organized team activities, has had a “great” training camp and is “showing some of the toughness and ball security that seemed to be missing last season.” With all of that in mind, losing snaps in three-wide receiver sets is a bit surprising. Thomas is extremely talented, but obvious questions remain as to his usage in the upcoming season. A boom-bust WR3 season could be on the way.

That would mean Thomas is set to play on the outside at the line of scrimmage. Parker Washington will presumably play in the slot with Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter fighting for flanker duties. As Wolfe notes, Liam Coen learned last year that going over the middle of the field and taking hits isn’t BTJ’s thing. Instead, he will likely be tasked with winning deep and beating man coverage. Wolfe noted Liam Coen’s roots in the Rams’ offense and compared BTJ’s role to that of Brandin Cooks and Sammy Watkins when they played in LA. Cooks topped 1,200 receiving yards in his first season with the Rams but fell below 600 in his second and final season with the team. Watkins, meanwhile, played just one season in LA and was also held under 600 yards. All signs point to Washington being the team’s No. 1 receiver this year.

“That’s where [Jaguars coaches] believe he can take that next step,” Wolfe said, adding that Thomas has shown much better chemistry with Trevor Lawrence this offseason after the two seemed never to be on the same page in 2024 and 2025. A downfield role would be nothing new for Thomas, who last season averaged 14.3 air yards per target and led the Jaguars in air yards share when healthy. Thomas in 2026 could remain a high-variance weekly fantasy option whose stat line will rely on splash plays. That could make him frustrating for fantasy managers while Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers are more consistent but lack the big play upside of BTJ. Lawrence in 2025 ranked 19th out of 33 qualifying QBs in downfield accuracy, in line with Cam Ward.

This comes via an article published by John Oehser of Jaguars.com. In the article, Lawrence acknowledged there were times last season when he and Thomas “weren’t on the same page,” but that’s something they’re hoping to change in 2026. Lawrence said he’s considered ways he can improve on his timing and accuracy with Thomas next season as Thomas hopes to bounce back from a down season after he broke out for 87-1,282-10 as a rookie in 2024. Thomas caught 48 passes in 14 games last season, totaling 707 yards and just two touchdowns. The fact he’ll also be fighting for targets with last year’s breakout receiver, Parker Washington, and veteran Jakobi Meyers, could limit Thomas’ ceiling next season, but any improved chemistry with Lawrence could result in a solid fantasy floor after he managed only three top-24 PPR finishes last season.

Last year, WR Parker Washington took home the honor, and while Washington has been really good again this year, as has QB Trevor Lawrence, Thomas’ showing at mandatory minicamp puts him in the lead. Per Shipley, Thomas was creating separation as a route-runner and winning over the middle of the field against the Jaguars’ top available cornerbacks. There are only so many touches to go around, but Thomas could end up being a best ball bargain at his current WR31 ADP.