At the start of the offseason, even before the decision to release Stefon Diggs, the Patriots were quickly in the mix for the top receivers headed to free agency or set to be on the trade block, as they hoped to finally add the clear WR1 that has eluded the team for far too long.
A.J. Brown became the easy frontrunner, given his connection to Mike Vrabel and trade rumors that had been part of the conversation about him for the past year. But other names started to gain more traction due to their age and promising future.
One of those players was Brian Thomas Jr., a 2024 first-round draft pick for the Jaguars who had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory, yet fell off unexpectedly in Year 2. Because of that, he was considered a potential trade option ahead of this year's draft, and the Patriots were at the top of the list as the most likely suitor.
Thomas is only 23 years old and appeared as though he might need a change of scenery to truly thrive once again, and the Jaguars were rumored to be uninterested in giving him another chance to return to his rookie form.
Patriots fans far and wide loved the idea of giving Drake Maye a young, explosive receiver to work with for the foreseeable future, even pairing him with Brown or Diggs for the 2026 season. But as we know, Thomas remains with the Jaguars, and the latest intel on how things are going for him proves the Patriots might have missed a major opportunity to get him for a steal.
Brian Thomas Jr. is about to have the comeback season the Patriots could have used instead
Patience might be a virtue, and maybe the lack of it led the Jaguars to consider offers for their star receiver earlier this offseason. But based on what we're hearing from the team's training camp, that patience has already paid off.
After a mostly forgettable 2025 season that saw Thomas record just 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games, he looks to have bounced back already this summer, with reporter Rick Ballou proclaiming that since "OTAs, minicamp, and now training camp, he looks like a completely different wide receiver. He looks better than he did his rookie season."
While that's good news for the Jaguars, who invested a first-round pick on Thomas just two years ago, it's not exactly the best thing to hear for those who hoped the Patriots could have pulled off a potential miracle to get him on the roster.
He could have revived his career in New England instead and become Maye's top option for the next several years. Instead, he will hope to accomplish that with Trevor Lawrence and get back on track to becoming a big-name receiver for the rest of his career.
Obviously, the Patriots aren't exactly hurting in the receiver department, since they have Brown leading the group, with Romeo Doubs right behind him and a hot competition for the rest of the depth chart ongoing.
However, it's hard to overlook just how vital Thomas could have become in Josh McDaniels' offense, and the idea of him and Maye becoming a lethal duo is difficult to forget.
Maybe they'll have a chance down the line to bring him in if he ever hits free agency or the Jaguars decide they don't want to offer him an extension. But for the time being, we'll have to watch Thomas have a comeback year while always thinking about what could have been.
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