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Brian Thomas Jr.'s frustration, drops piling up, but Liam Coen's confidence remains high
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- Brian Thomas Jr.'s frustration, drops piling up, but Liam Coen's confidence remains high
The dog days of training camp have arrived and they are barking for some louder than others.
Day 13 of training camp saw another frustrating outing for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
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The pass catcher had a day that included a pass going off his hands, which was intercepted by Jarrian Jones , and him tossing his helmet to the ground after being missed by quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the red zone.
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It's more additions to a list of camp frustrations for the second-year receiver, who punched a wall after Tyson Campbell broke up a pass to him and he kicked a football that hit a nearby bystander earlier in training camp.
Thomas had a standout rookie season in 2024 , rewriting the franchise rookie receiving record books for catches, yards and touchdowns. He was third in the NFL in receiving yards and emerged as a top-level talent.
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But his sophomore training camp hasn't been up to the standard he set last season.
"He's pretty hard on himself in ways," head coach Liam Coen said when asked if he tends to say anything to Thomas after a rough practice. "I try not to pile on in those moments, and sometimes it's better to let them be. Sometimes you've got to love them up."
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen talks with Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. during an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Thomas spent time on a knee away from most of his teammates while the reserves were on the field during practice. Wide receiver Dyami Brown joined him for a bit before walking further down the sideline.
He had short conversations with Lawrence as the two continue to work on their timing and getting on the same page after an abbreviated season last year.
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But according to Coen, there's not a drop in confidence that Thomas will come out of the slump when it matters.
"Something that's kind of been consistent is, when the lights come on, he does show up," Coen said. "That's something that I do enjoy about players, that it is different in the game."
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) has a laugh with Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the first half of the first preseason game as Head Coach Liam Coen coaches from the sideline where the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday Aug. 9, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
It's evident by Thomas' two touchdown receptions during the stadium scrimmage. Further proof is the 1,282 yards on 87 catches for 10 touchdowns he put up last year on a bad Jaguars offense.
An offense that didn't have Lawrence for seven games and finished the season without three of the four top pass catchers. With Coen calling plays, it's expected that the team, and Thomas, will see overall improvement.
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As far as the frustrating practices, it's just those dog days barking.
"I still have a lot of confidence in him," Coen said. "I firmly believe that when it's really rolling and he's going, I have a lot of confidence in BT."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars Brian Thomas Jr.: Frustration grows; coach's trust still high
