Liam Coen has been quite happy with what he’s seen from Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason.
After recording nearly 1,300 yards in 2024 as a rookie, Thomas Jr. totaled only 707 yards this past season. This included dealing with dropped passes and catching just 49% of the passes thrown his way.
So one of the points of emphasis this offseason has been Thomas Jr. and Trevor Lawrence continuing to build their chemistry within the Coen offense.
While it’s still early, the two are off to a strong start in offseason programs and OTAs in that regard.
“I’ve been very pleased with the way that he’s attacked the offseason,” Coen said of Thomas Jr. on Monday “The way that he takes the meeting room to practice and how that’s looked. We’re being a little bit more intentional about usage and chemistry with him this spring and trying to get a true connection that we didn’t quite have last spring or last training camp, if you will.
“I’ve been very pleased with how he’s taking the things that we asked him to do to get better at and to be intentional about those reps. I know everybody’s ‘it’s a down year, and fantasy, and this, that, and a third,’ but we were on a good team. I think that typically matters a bit more.”
“I’ve been very pleased with the way that he’s attacked this offseason.”
Coach Coen on BTJ. pic.twitter.com/QI5qNSLlQP
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 1, 2026
As Coen has discussed previously, the way his offense operates is that it doesn’t depend solely on having a true WR1. Instead, the ball is often spread around with the matchups, coverages, and in-game situations dictating where Lawrence goes with the ball.
Along with building that rapport with Lawrence, Coen added that taking care of the football, attacking the ball, and situational aspects of the position are other areas of focus for Thomas Jr.
Lawrence and Thomas Jr’s connection continuing to grow should create more deep-ball opportunities for the offense. That not only leads to explosive pass plays, but the attention that Thomas Jr. draws can open up opportunities for others.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ Liam Coen ‘very pleased” with Brian Thomas’ performance