The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most disappointing teams in the 2024 NFL season, finishing with a 4-13 record.
Jacksonville was expected to be more competitive after their season the year prior, but the team as a whole took a step back.
Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne could not ignite the passing and ground games, respectively, though the team did have a bright spot in rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jaguars selected Thomas with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he blossomed into a legitimate downfield threat and target in the red zone.
Thomas was named to the Pro Bowl roster, a massive accomplishment for a rookie on a bad team.
Peyton Manning, who is one of the coaches for the Pro Bowl 7-on-7 flag football game, expressed high praise for Thomas.
“Yeah, he’s awesome. I’m glad he’s here. Kind of hard to believe he and [Malik] Nabers were on the same college team at LSU with [Jayden] Daniels, pretty amazing. We had a little walk-through yesterday, so we didn’t really get to move around too much. I’m looking forward to seeing him out here in a little practice today. Big target, I think he and Lawrence could have a heck of a combination for many years to come,” Manning said, via Alivia Tassely of The Official Jaguars Station.
Peyton Manning like what he sees out of BTJ ⤵️ @ActionSportsJax pic.twitter.com/8KVKXyEWRa
— Alivia Tassely (@AliviaASJax) February 1, 2025
From the sound of it, Manning seems high on Thomas as a player, and for good reason.
The rookie has the tools and skill set to be a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
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