Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen walked off the field after consulting with general manager James Gladstone, EVP of football Tony Boselli and VP of player health and performance Jeff Ferguson.
The routine after Jacksonville finished Organized Team Activities No. 1 was a familiar sight to last year’s practices during the offseason, training camp, regular season and one playoff week.
In the midst of the spring, Jacksonville stepped onto the practice field around 2 p.m., dealing with a perfect blend of the weather to come over the next several months: clouds, rain, lightning and brutally clear sun-filled skies that made it seem as though summer was here already.
All of that was a coincidence, though. Coen said the team practiced mid-afternoon due to logistical challenges after a three-day Memorial Day weekend, now in the rearview mirror.
“I thought the guys did a nice job of staying agile. We were touch-and-go there for a while in terms of being able to come outside, go in, stay in, so that was a little bit of an annoyance, if you will, but I thought the guys did a nice job of setting a standard of how we practice, of setting the tone for the rest of the spring,” Coen said.
“Got some good work, a lot of coachable stuff off tape that we’ll be able to touch on.”
Brian Thomas Jr. stands out in first offseason practice
Brian Thomas Jr. did not have a consistent season last year.
After a stellar rookie campaign, Thomas struggled last season with drops, particularly early on. He finished with 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 2025.
Contrast that with Thomas’ rookie campaign, where he ended with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. At 14.7 yards per catch, Thomas proved to be one of the league’s best downfield threats.
At practice during the team’s first OTA, Thomas looked more like rookie Thomas than not, catching two low passes off the ground and a deep ball where he broke free behind corner Christian Braswell and the rest of the team’s secondary for a touchdown.
The downfield passing game is something Coen says the team is working on, and Thomas will be a vital part of the offense. Thomas and quarterback Trevor Lawrence have worked on their chemistry since earlier this spring and will continue to do so.
“We’ve got to keep pushing that envelope a little bit, especially with him and BT [Brian Thomas], that connection,” Coen said of the deep ball.
Jaguars secondary comes up with two interceptions
Jacksonville’s offense didn’t have many hiccups in non-padded, non-contact work Tuesday, but there were a couple of plays made by the team’s defensive secondary.
At one point during practice, safety Eric Murray made a solid interception on an underthrown football by Lawrence, working against Thomas downfield.
Murray is returning to the starting lineup after missing several games last year due to a neck injury.
Rookie undrafted corner Preston Hodge also had an interception, this time against fellow rookie quarterback Joey Aguilar, who appeared to throw the ball into a crowded area.
Travis Hunter works to side, five others absent, including Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Everyone’s eyes were immediately trained on cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter as the media entered the indoor practice facility.
The two-way player sported a teal offense jersey and worked off to the side for most of the day, only catching during stationary drills. Hunter is expected to be limited during OTAs and return for a full go during training camp.
Another player who worked off to the side was cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who finished the year on IR due to a foot injury.
Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., signed during free agency, missed the first OTA. After practice, Coen said, “the injury report will come out at some point,” indicating Rodriguez is likely injured.
Other players who were not at practice include:
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 3 Jaguars OTA No. 1 observations: Brian Thomas Jr. shines early
Reporting by Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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