An NFL trade idea sending a 23-year-old Pro Bowler to the New York Jets has emerged.
An NFL trade idea sending a 23-year-old Pro Bowler to the New York Jets has been created.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars:
New York Jets Receive: WR Brian Thomas Jr, 2026 Round 3 Pick (100)
Jacksonville Jaguars Receive: 2026 Round 1 Pick (16), 2026 Round 5 Pick (159), 2027 Round 2 Pick
Thomas Jr. appeared in 14 games for the Jaguars last season. He caught 48 balls for 707 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
A LSU product, Thomas Jr. made the Pro Bowl in 2024 as a rookie. He put up 1,282 receiving yards on 87 receptions and caught 10 touchdowns.
New York needs more playmakers on offense, which is why Davenport believes the Jets' front office should pursue a trade for Thomas Jr. This trade idea would pair Thomas Jr. with Geno Smith, who was traded by the Las Vegas Raiders to the Jets this offseason.
"The good news is that the New York Jets have two first-round picks in 2026—their own and the selection obtained from the Indianapolis Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade," Davenport wrote. "The bad news is that in this draft class, neither of those picks are going to get the Jets a quarterback of the future.
"Welcome to the Geno Smith experience. Game sickness bags will be provided under every seat at MetLife Stadium for fans' convenience.
The Jets are loaded for bear to get that quarterback in 2027, with three first-rounders. In the interim, the team should be looking to improve the situation that quarterback will be walking into. And outside Garrett Wilson, the pass-catching corps in New York is among the NFL's weakest. This price might seem steep given Thomas' down 2025 campaign. But we're talking about a 23-year-old receiver who has already had a better season than Wilson ever has who is under team control at a reasonable amount through at least 2027."
Smith enters next season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. His starting record is 42-56-0.
In his first stint with the Jets, Smith went 12-18 as a starter. He threw for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. It wasn't pretty.
However, Smith is older and wiser now and believes he's going to prove his critics in New York wrong.
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