The Jacksonville Jaguars refused to give up on wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

No matter how badly the talented young wideout struggled last season, or how relentless the trade rumors became throughout the past several months, head coach Liam Coen and the rest of the organization never wavered in their belief that BTJ was an important part of the team's future.

Thomas has been making the Jaguars' decision to keep him look like the right one, with Coen complimenting his "extremely intentional" focus on improving the issues that plagued him last year.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Thomas have been working together diligently to strengthen their connection, especially on deep balls. If Thomas can be a consistent threat to take the top off defenses, it will give fellow WRs Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers even more space to operate in the short and intermediate areas.

Earlier this offseason, BTJ spoke about Jacksonville's decision to keep him and how the team's faith in him filled him with confidence.

It turns out the Jaguars had several options on the table if they wanted to cut bait and trade Thomas. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Jacksonville turned down multiple significant trade offers for Thomas Jr. and expects a big season from him.

While all of the trade rumors involving Thomas were circling, Coen wanted to clear the air with him and make sure he knew that the rumors he may have heard were not coming from the organization.

As Howe reports, Coen called his receiver to tell him that the team is committed to him as a big part of its future.

“It was just important to let him know we’re all in this thing together, and this is not coming from us,” Coen said to The Athletic.

Coen relayed to Thomas that they want to see him succeed and build a lasting relationship.

“At the end of the day, all we’re trying to do is help you become the best player that you can be and that we want to be here for you on and off the field. That’s the kind of relationship we want to continue to build and grow.”

Coen's call meant a lot to Thomas. Knowing that his coach still had faith in him and wanted him around long-term really had a positive effect on Thomas, who had been going through a very rough time.

“That put me in a good spot,” Thomas told The Athletic, referring to the call he got from Coen. “You feel like they have enough respect for you to call and tell you stuff like that. That makes you want to be at your best for them or work even harder for them. That was super cool for them to do that.

“We’ve gotten a lot closer for sure. I feel we mesh well. It’s proven he has a great offense. You just have to come in here and know what you’re doing. That’s the main thing. Know what you’ve got to do, and you’ll see the results.”

The Jaguars believe in BTJ. They rebuffed multiple significant trade offers because they anticipate him playing as he did as a rookie in 2024.

While the specifics of the potential trade packages are unknown, it is telling that Coen and general manager James Gladstone were the ones to refuse the trades. 

As Howe notes, Thomas Jr. was drafted by the previous regime in Jacksonville. Normally, a coach or GM can easily be swayed to part with a player who isn't one of "his guys." Even with his struggles, Coen and Gladstone both still recognized his incredible talent and didn't want to give up on him.

With the regular season less than a month away, it won't be long until BTJ gets his opportunity to prove that last season was a fluke and that the Jaguars made the right choice to hold onto him.