Within the NFL, you by no means need to be with out your finest gamers — particularly for prolonged intervals of time.
However for the second straight yr, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have discovered themselves skinny at broad receiver. Final season, it was resulting from accidents to Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. This season, it’s an damage to Xavier Worthy — together with the six-game suspension Rice is serving.
However Kansas Metropolis has discovered a silver lining within the state of affairs: broad receiver Tyquan Thornton.
Drafted by the New England Patriots within the second spherical (fiftieth total) of the 2022 NFL Draft, the fourth-year wideout was waived in November, spending the remainder of the yr on the Chiefs’ observe squad.
Kansas Metropolis head coach Andy Reid is blissful that Thornton — who now wears No. 80 — is making the most of his alternative to get extra reps with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I believe one of many nice issues is that Pat has been in a position to get some sport time with a few guys he didn’t have quite a lot of sport time with — [like] Hollywood and 80,” Reid famous to reporters on Wednesday. “When the [Worthy and Rice] are available in, then he’s obtained expertise with them. I take a look at the manufacturing of the opposite two guys, Hollywood and Thornton, and it’s been an actual optimistic for the crew.”
Thornton has been the recent hand within the prime two receivers’ absence. Thornton is second on the crew in targets — trailing solely Brown — and is tied for the crew lead with 171 receiving yards. He additionally leads Kansas Metropolis with two receiving touchdowns.
Regardless of his quick begin, Thornton is working to get higher each day.
“I’m studying lots,” he mentioned on Wednesday. “I study each day. [I’m] taking the little issues from a few of the veteran gamers on how I could be higher on the little issues. [I’m] going on the market every day on the observe discipline and difficult myself.”
Thornton has realized that soliciting assist from veterans — in tandem with observe and movie examine — is a good way to enhance his sport. And it’s additionally useful to maintain his ears open for what the quarterback needs.
“There’s one play the place we had a nook route,” Thornton recalled, “the place [Mahomes] wished me to get my eyes again a little bit bit faster in that void. So now we’re gonna hit on that subsequent time.”
Thornton has offered one thing that has been lacking from the Chiefs’ offense: big-play skill. In 2024, Mahomes averaged a career-low 6.8 yards per try. To date in 2025, it’s even decrease at 6.4.
However there have been flashes of the deep passing sport the crew needs to re-establish. The largest was the 33-yard reception that arrange Kansas Metropolis’s last landing towards the New York Giants final Sunday, which lastly pushed the sport out of attain.
But it surely wasn’t simply the reception. It was the state of affairs surrounding it.
Coming into the sport, Kansas Metropolis was 0-2. The offense appeared depressing all through the primary half, coming into halftime with a 9-6 lead. However then, the offense flipped a change. Mahomes led the offense on an 11-play, 74-yard drive to open the second half, which culminated in a five-yard landing cross to Thornton.
Then with seven minutes left within the fourth quarter, Mahomes uncorked a 34-yard cross to Thornton, which was initially dominated a landing. However on evaluate, officers decided that the cross was incomplete.
On the very subsequent snap, Mahomes went again to him — and Thornton repaid the quarterback’s religion in him.
Thornton additionally had a 49-yard landing reception within the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
To Thornton, the logic is easy.
“You’ve obtained to take pictures on this league to open up the protection,” he famous, “and open up the offense, too.”
However along with his elevated success has come elevated consideration from defenses, that are already enjoying him otherwise
“They attempt to throw a little bit shell on the market while you go within the slot,” defined Thornton, “to allow them to high-low you a little bit bit. However when you catch them in man [coverage], there’s your likelihood.”
To date, Thornton has been profiting from his possibilities. However does he have what it takes to play a much bigger function in Kansas Metropolis’s offense? If he doesn’t, he’s working to get it.
“You gotta put your head down [and] work on the little issues,” he mentioned, “and simply carry on working till you show your self proper.”
