ORLANDO - Some questions have easy answers.
Brian Thomas Jr. doesn't recall where he was when he learned he had received the honor he is experiencing this week. He does remember his answer when a voice on the other end of the phone asked:
"Do you want to attend the Pro Bowl?"
"I was like, 'No question,''' Thomas said.
Thomas, a wide receiver selected by the Jaguars No. 23 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, didn't just receive Pro Bowl honors. He earned his way to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games – which are being held this week in Orlando – with one of the NFL's best receiving seasons this past season and one of the best receiving seasons in franchise history.
The reward: A call to participate in the '25 Pro Bowl, which makes him the fourth receiver in franchise history along with Jimmy Smith, D.J. Chark Jr. and Allen Robinson so honored.
"I definitely wanted to be there, and I definitely wanted to go," Thomas said following Friday's Pro Bowl practice.
He is the first Jaguars wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
"It's super cool, just being able to be around the other players, being able to connect with them and being able to talk to them," he said. "You see them on TV a lot all the time and play against them, but you don't ever really get a chance to actually talk to them.
"Being able to talk to them is super cool."
Thomas paused at this point to receive congratulations from the father of Derek Stingley Jr., a cornerback for the Houston Texans who – like Thomas – played collegiately at Louisiana State University. Thomas, when asked other notable players he has met this week, said two players in particular stood out on that front:
Wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase, two of the top wide receivers in the NFL in recent seasons.
While Jefferson and Chase – like Thomas and fellow rookie Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers of the New York Giants – played collegiately at LSU, Thomas said he never had met the veteran duo until this week.
"This was my first time actually meeting them and talking some, so just being able to talk to those guys – guys who did it at LSU and continue to do it in the league – I would say that was pretty cool," Thomas said. "They congratulated me on my rookie season and told me to keep pushing.
Nabers, Thomas and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels – all of whom played at LSU and entered the NFL in the same season – are close friends. While Daniels, who played in the NFC Championship Game with the Commanders last Sunday, opted not to attend the game, Daniels and Nabers have connected frequently in Orlando.
"It's super cool, just being from LSU – and being together at the Pro Bowl together, being able to link back up, has been great." Thomas said. "During the season, we talk on the phone but you're not able to be around each other. Just being able to be around has been cool."
Thomas and Nabers each turned in remarkable rookie seasons, with Nabors catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Thomas emerged throughout the season as the focus of the Jaguars' offense, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns – all of which were franchise records for a rookie.
Up next: A bit more recovery from that season, with Thomas saying he plans to resume heavy training in preparation toward the end of February.
That's when he will begin preparing for a 2025 season in which he will play for a new head coach, Liam Coen, who Thomas met this past Monday when the Jaguars introduced Coen to fans and media.
"I'm super-excited," Thomas said. "He's super-cool from the couple of minutes we got to meet. I'm excited to get to work with him."
Reppin' the Jags 🐆 Swipe through pictures from a beautiful day in Orlando, FL for team photos and practice for the 2025 Pro Bowl games flag football tournament. 🏈 Stay tuned all weekend!
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46), and punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars director of player engagement Marcus Pollard during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46), and punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars director of player engagement Marcus Pollard, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) and director of strength and conditioning Cedric Scott (left to right) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars director of player engagement Marcus Pollard, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), punter Logan Cooke (9), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) and director of strength and conditioning Cedric Scott (left to right) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), long snapper Ross Matiscik (46), and punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
Orlando, Fla. — Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on January 31, 2025.
