JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have an emerging rookie receiver in Josh Cameron. But as Cameron sees more reps, is veteran receiver Brian Thomas Jr. getting the short end of the stick?
Cameron, a 2026 sixth-round pick, played as many snaps as Thomas and added a touchdown in last Sunday's win against the New England Patriots. It appears Cameron's role will continue to grow as the season continues when the Jaguars take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). But according to the team, that doesn't mean it will be at Thomas' expense. Coach Liam Coen said the Jaguars still have a plan for -- and definitely need -- the 2024 first-round pick.
"We need all these guys," Coen said. "... We are 100% going to need BT to make plays down the field and continue to ascend and make contested catches and do the things that he does really well. And that's on us as a staff to continue to put him in those positions, and he's going to make a ton of plays for us this year, I have no doubt in my mind."
Thomas and Cameron each played 23 snaps against the Patriots, a drop for Thomas from the 31 he played against the Denver Broncos one week earlier. Coen indicated the two drops Thomas had against the Broncos did not factor into that dip in play time. The Jaguars used more 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) against the Broncos, and that allows only two receivers on the field. Still, Thomas was targeted just once -- the fewest times he has been targeted in a game in his career -- and caught an 8-yard pass. Cameron was targeted twice and had one catch, a 12-yard touchdown.
Thomas said this week that he's not worried about his dip in play time.
"I just say stay ready for when your opportunity comes," said Thomas, who has seven catches for 88 yards this season. "When you get your opportunity, just go out there and make the play."
Coen has said Thomas had an impressive offseason and the he was a major part of the offensive's push to go down the field more in 2026. In each of the first two games, he had three catches for 40 yards.
Cameron, meanwhile, has worked his way into a receiver rotation that includes Thomas, Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington. To this point, Cameron has even had a bigger role than Travis Hunter (16 offensive snaps). His three catches for 32 yards in 2026 have been notable mostly because two have been for touchdowns. He has also had a significant role on all four special teams units -- sharing kickoff return duties with Ameer Abdullah and averaging 27.2 yards on five kickoff returns.
"He's really smart, first of all, just as a dude, as a person, but also football makes sense to him," Coen said. "To be able to handle the workload of not just the offensive game plan, but also the PP [personal protector] on punt, the kickoff dynamics that go into the kickoff coverage, and then also KOR. There's a lot that he does.
"He's definitely self-driven in a lot of ways. He wants to be really good. He's confident in his abilities."
When Cameron first arrived in Jacksonville, he was dealing with a calf strain he suffered at the combine and was limited in the early organized team activities, which led to some self-doubt, he said.
"I'm definitely really proud and really excited about how far I've really come," Cameron said. "Having them have my back and allowing me to go out there and just be me at the end of the day, I feel like that's what it's all about. That's what I'm going to do to go out there and continue to be me."
Coen noted that Cameron is quiet, polite and respectful inside the facility during the week. On game days, however, it's a different story.
"He's a quiet dude that on the football field is gnarly," Coen said. "In the building, he's pretty quiet. You don't always hear him or feel him, like just personality-wise. He's pretty quiet and he goes about his business, but then you feel him out on the grass."
That's the way he has always been, Cameron said.
"I call it, I guess, your stereotypical flipping a switch whenever it's time to go," he said. "Something before games I tell myself, 'They need to feel you, J.'
"So basically, I remind myself, like, 'Hey, they need to feel you whenever you're out there, whenever you get an opportunity to, to go capitalize on the opportunity.'"
He'll continue to get those opportunities ... and so will Thomas.