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Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is amped up to play Sunday, quiet and reserved no more
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- Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is amped up to play Sunday, quiet and reserved no more
There was a time when rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr.'s reserved nature was questioned.
He had a quiet start to his career as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars , not providing the dazzling plays in the early stages of camp that his college tape is littered with.
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But through the first four games of the season, he's been one of the loudest players on the field for Jacksonville. He's earned Rookie of the Week nominations twice in four games , standing out as a bright spot for the winless Jaguars .
And the silent rookie who was present throughout the offseason and training camp has all but disappeared on gamedays.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) reacts to his reception against Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) as cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) looks on during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
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Thomas chirping with Jalen Ramsey in his first career game after drawing a pass interference penalty on the veteran defensive back made that obvious.
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Or last Sunday, when Thomas drew a penalty for doing his first-down celebration and spent the rest of the game trying not to enact the celebration after picking up big plays.
"He's a competitor," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said of Thomas, later noting that players deserve to celebrate after big plays within the confines of the rules.
"He's coming out of his shell, showing some more personality," teammate Christian Kirk said. "Just his poise on Sundays has been impressive."
Thomas has recorded 17 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns in the early stage of the season.
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He ranks in the top 20 players in the league in receiving yards this season and has the second-most yards among rookies. Only former LSU teammate Malik Nabers has more with 386 yards, ranking second in the NFL.
But Thomas has seen half the targets as Nabers this season, seeing 26 to Nabers' 52 which is the most in the league.
"I want to win one, eventually," Thomas said of the Rookie of the Week honors from the locker room this week. "But it's showing that the work that I'm putting in is showing off."
That work has reared its head in different facets of Jacksonville's offense. Largely lauded as primarily a downfield threat during the draft process, Thomas has shown versatility and an ability to be featured in different roles.
The team has used him in intermediate routes, screens and even fed him a reverse which allowed him to get in space and follow blockers for a first down.
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The passion and fire Thomas plays with makes him almost seem like a completely different player than the rookie who showed up at the Miller Electric Center just five months ago.
Whether it's torching a defensive back or making a timely grab for his team, that's just how he expresses himself. Just who he is.
"When I'm out there playing football, that's how I express myself," Thomas said. "I'm amped up and I'm just ready to compete and that's just me competing at the highest level."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. focused ahead of Colts game
