Speedy receiver is forcing his way into Chiefs plans for Week 1

One of the biggest stories throughout Kansas City Chiefs training camp has been the performance of Tyquan Thornton, a fourth-year receiver who spent time on the team's practice squad last season. Thornton spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career in New England, as he was a second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Despite his draft status, the Baylor product never consistently produced as a Patriot. In 28 career games, Thornton has accumulated just 39 receptions for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has never recorded more than 60 receiving yards in a game and has only had 13 starts despite New England's limited receiving room.

Based on this information, it may be fair to think that Thornton is a long shot to meaningfully contribute to the Chiefs in 2025. After all, there have been numerous instances of the Chiefs having a receiver generate buzz in training camp, and that has not translated to the regular season. Josh Gordon and Justyn Ross serve as cautionary tales for this. However, there is reason to believe that Thornton could buck that trend this season.

A needed change of scenery

For starters, his physical talent is not in question, as a player is not a top-50 pick by accident. His speed is incredible, clocking a mind-blowing 4.28-second time in the 40 at the 2022 Combine. When evaluating Thornton's lack of production in New England, it's important to provide context. The Patriots have had an unstable offensive environment the past few years, with a combination of questionable play-calling and inconsistent quarterback play.

In Thornton's rookie season, the Patriots’ offense was coordinated by Matt Patricia, a defensive-minded coach. Patricia was succeeded by Bill O'Brien and Alex Van Pelt, both of whom were let go after their respective seasons.

In addition to the instability at offensive coordinator, the quarterbacks tasked with getting Thornton the ball have left plenty to be desired. Four Patriots quarterbacks started a game under center during Thornton's tenure: Mac Jones, Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett, and Bailey Zappe. Of those four, Maye is the only one who will start Week 1 in 2025. It is fair to assume that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will provide the best play-calling and quarterback play of Thornton's young career.

Chiefs WR room might need Thornton early

In addition to greatly improved offensive infrastructure, there is another big reason why Thornton could help the Chiefs this season: he's going to get a real chance to see the field early on. Rashee Rice's likely suspension (reported to be around 4–6 games) could open the door for Thornton to be a regular part of the rotation when the Chiefs begin the season.

Prior to training camp, Thornton was competing to be the final receiver on the 53-man roster, with the likes of Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, Jalen Royals, and JuJu Smith-Schuster as safe bets to make the team.

With Rice's looming suspension, as well as Brown being hampered by an ankle injury, Thornton has gotten an increased opportunity to display his skill set, which he has capitalized on. Thornton has also developed a nice connection with Patrick Mahomes on deep routes, an element that has been missing from Kansas City's offense over the past two years.

Thornton's elevated role was on display in the Chiefs' preseason opener at Arizona, as he got live reps with the first-team offense on the opening possession. On that series (which was shortened due to the Cardinals' special teams fumbling the kickoff), Thornton was a go-to target on a deep ball from Mahomes (nullified by a penalty on Cardinals CB Will Johnson). On the second offensive drive, Thornton hauled in a 15-yard reception from Gardner Minshew, which resulted in a first down.

Given how Thornton has looked in camp, and how the Chiefs leaned on him early in the first preseason game against the Cardinals, it would come as a surprise if he is not in uniform Week 1 against the Chargers. If the chemistry he has shown with Mahomes can translate to live game action, Thornton could legitimately contribute to the Chiefs’ offense this season.