Thornton is slated to undergo surgery later this week to address the dislocated left ankle he sustained in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Raiders and is facing an expected recovery timeline of 3-to-4 weeks, Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reports.
Depending how quickly Thornton bounces back from surgery, Zenitz notes that the speedy receiver could have a small chance at returning late in the regular season or during the playoffs. The injury is nonetheless a devastating development for Thornton, who had turned in perhaps the best performance of his career -- a five-catch, 111-yard, two-touchdown effort on eight targets -- before going down with the gruesome ankle injury at the end of a 55-yard reception with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter. In Thornton's absence, the Chiefs could call upon Xavier Worthy to run more vertical routes, and Kansas City may also have interest in a reunion with Tyreek Hill (knee), who is expected to sign a deal with a team within the next few days.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Out indefinitely due to dislocated ankle
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Thornton (ankle) is out indefinitely after dislocating his ankle during Sunday's 30-27 win over the Raiders, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.
Thornton had his dislocated ankle put back into place by doctors Sunday and flew home with the team, but he's facing an extended absence due to the injury he sustained in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win in Vegas. He scored twice before getting injured at the end of a 55-yard catch, which brought Thornton up to five receptions for 111 yards on eight targets. Thornton will undergo a full evaluation of the injured left ankle Monday morning.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Carted with obvious ankle injury
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Thornton exited Sunday's game agains the Raiders with a left ankle injury and will not return.
Thornton was injured at the end of a long catch in the fourth quarter when he was tackled from behind, as the defender fell on his ankle. It was an obviously serious injury, with Thornton's foot pointing the wrong direction. He was put in a cast and carted off the field. Thornton was having a career game in Las Vegas, catching five of eight targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns prior to his injury. Jalen Royals is next up at wideout alongside Xavier Worthy after Rashee Rice (hamstring) left with an injury earlier in the day Sunday.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: No catches in Week 1
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Thornton didn't catch his only target during Monday night's 31-10 win over the Broncos.
Thornton was on the field for 47 of 69 offensive snaps, but he failed to leave his mark on the contest. The wide receiver is used primarily as a deep threat, and his production will likely vary significantly from week to week.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Returns to practice after Tuesday exit
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Thornton (hamstring) is participating in Wednesday's practice, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Thornton left Tuesday's practice on a cart after tweaking his hamstring, though his presence on the field a day later suggests that his early exit may have been precautionary more than anything. He's donning full pads Wednesday, so Thornton doesn't look as though he will be limited in the session.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Starts in exhibition opener
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Thornton started at wide receiver Saturday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Rams, according to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star.
Thornton did not draw a target in Saturday's contest, but he played only six snaps and left the game before both Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen, which is an indication the Chiefs are comfortable with where he stands. Allen has made noise during the preseason, but Thornton presumably remains the favorite to open as the third receiver behind Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy (shoulder).
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Won't practice again Tuesday
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Head coach Andy Reid said that Thornton (concussion) won't take part in Tuesday's practice, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Thornton entered concussion protocol following the Chiefs' Week 15 loss to the Chargers and wasn't available for this past Sunday's loss to the Titans. The wide receiver still appears to be dealing with symptoms of the concussion and is looking unlikely to be available for Thursday's game against the Broncos.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Remains in concussion protocol
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Thornton (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Titans.
Rashee Rice and Thornton both remain in the concussion protocol and won't suit up Sunday after failing to practice in any capacity throughout the week. Thornton would need to log a full practice and receive clearance from an independent neurologist to have a chance to clear protocol before Thursday's game against the Broncos, so he looks like a long shot to play Week 17 as well. Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nikko Remigio and Jalen Royals are the available options at wide receiver for Kansas City this weekend.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Possible concussion
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Thornton is being evaluated for a possible concussion and is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Chargers.
Thornton took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Tony Jefferson early in the fourth quarter, which resulted in the latter being ejected from Sunday's game. With Hollywood Brown (personal) inactive, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nikko Remigio and Jalen Royals are all candidates to see more snaps on offense for as long as Thornton is out of the game.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Snares two passes versus Texans
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Thornton logged two receptions (on three targets) for 19 yards during Sunday's 20-10 defeat versus Houston.
Thornton continues to be part of the glob of wideouts who rotate in to occasionally spell or work alongside the primary duo of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, logging a 30 percent offensive snap share to sit just behind JuJu Smith-Schuster (38 percent) and Hollywood Brown (34 percent). There's little to like from the latter group in terms of fantasy, Thornton included, but Thornton should continue to mix into the offensive scheme as a deep threat, and there's always the possibility of a role expansion should injuries hit the top of the depth chart.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Blanked by Colts
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Thornton didn't reel in his lone target during Sunday's 23-20 overtime victory against the Colts.
Thornton's role on offense has declined significantly with all of the Chiefs' weapons available, and there's nothing to suggest that will change. Thornton remains a deep-threat option in the passing attack, evidenced by his 61-yard grab in Week 11 versus the Broncos, but he'll likely see minimal opportunities moving forward, so he can be viewed as a depth piece with some upside if injuries hit the wide receiver room.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: One grab in loss
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Thornton caught one of his two targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 22-19 loss to the Broncos.
Thornton made one big play Sunday, catching a 61-yard deep ball from Patrick Mahomes in the third quarter. The 25-year-old wideout has proven he can make explosive plays when called upon by Kansas City, but he has seen his snap counts decrease since teammate Rashee Rice returned from his six-game suspension in Week 7. In Week 11, Thornton played just 16 of the Chiefs' 70 offensive snaps, the fewest of any Chiefs wide receiver. Based on his limited usage in the Kansas City's aerial attack, the Baylor product remains difficult to trust for fantasy purposes. With that said, Thornton will look to make the most of his opportunities again in Week 12 when the Chiefs host the Colts.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Finishes as team's leading receiver
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Thornton finished with three catches for 90 yards on five targets in Monday's 31-28 loss to the Jaguars.
After drawing a team-high nine targets in the Chiefs' Week 3 win over the Giants, Thornton saw his role in the passing game take a significant hit in the Week 4 win over the Ravens, when Kansas City returned Xavier Worthy from a two-game absence. Though he still ranked fourth among Chiefs receivers in snap share (45 percent) and ranked fourth overall in targets in Monday's win, Thornton was able to make the most of his opportunities. He accounted for three of the Chiefs' four biggest plays of the night, ripping off gains of 34, 32 and 24 yards on downfield throws by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As one of the speedier players on the roster, Thornton could continue to have a role as a vertical threat even when Rashee Rice returns from suspension Week 7, but Thornton's game-to-game production will likely be somewhat volatile.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Week 4 Adds (WR Preview)
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Over the past two weeks, Thornton leads the Chiefs with a 21.9% target share. He is one of the few pass-catching options Patrick Mahomes has been able to trust with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy missing. There is some talk of Worthy coming back in a limited role this week, but we aren't expecting much from Worthy yet. Thornton's 25-yard aDOT means he'll be very up and down, but if you need a big swing, he is the guy who could provide in a game against the Ravens, that the Chiefs should be chasing the score.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Rips off long TD grab
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Thornton brought in two of five targets for 59 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Eagles.
Thornton left his mark on this contest when he beat his defensive assignment deep for a 49-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter of an eventual loss. The former Patriot had just one reception for 10 yards on his previous four targets, highlighting the boom-or-bust nature of his role in this offense. With Xavier Worthy (shoulder) trending towards a Week 3 return, Thornton could find himself back in a reserve role against the Giants next Sunday.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Honing in on roster spot
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Thornton is likely to make the Chiefs' 53-man roster, Jesse Newell of The Athletic reports.
Thornton isn't exactly a roster lock in the way that Rashee Rice (groin), Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown (ankle), JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie fourth-rounder Jalen Royals are, but Newell reports that training camp has clearly demonstrated that Andy Reid envisions a role for Thornton's 4.28 speed. Newell notes that Thornton would be an ideal fit to take over the field-stretching role Kansas City had relied on Justin Watson, now with the Texans, to handle the last three seasons. Thornton will also be a candidate to contribute in the return game, which would boost his odds of securing a depth WR spot on the regular-season roster.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Building momentum with new team
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Thursday at the final session of mandatory minicamp that Thornton has had a good offseason, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports.
"I like [Thornton]," said Reid, mentioning that the wideout has "got [Mahomes'] trust" and has "gotten some valuable reps here." A 2022 second-round pick, Thornton never managed to put things together across his three seasons in New England, resulting in him being cut last November and joining Kansas City's practice squad. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound speedster has managed to flash during early offseason activities, but his next task will be to keep that momentum going during full-contact drills at training camp. The Chiefs have a crowded receiver corps, but if Thornton is able to secure a depth roster spot Reid may be able to make use of his 4.28 speed in occasional designed packages.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Inks future deal with Kansas City
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Thonton signed a reserve/future contract with Kansas City on Tuesday, Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reports.
Thornton was waived by the Patriots in mid-November after a disappointing six-game stretch to start the 2024 season, during which he logged just four catches on eight targets for 47 yards. The 2022 second-round pick landed on Kansas City's practice squad Nov. 18, and while he wasn't ever elevated to the active roster, Thornton will have an opportunity to work out with Kansas City during OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
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Tyquan Thornton: Let go by New England
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The Patriots waived Thornton on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Selected with the 50th pick overall by New England in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thornton never lived up to expectations over the first two and a half years of his NFL career, partially due to injuries that limited him to just nine appearances in 2023. He's generally stayed healthy in 2024 but has been unable to carve out a regular role in the wideout rotation, as Thornton had been a healthy inactive in four of the previous five contests. The 24-year-old receiver will be a casualty on the 53-man roster with the Patriots needing to make room for star defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who was activated from the reserve/non-football illness list.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: On track to play Sunday
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Thornton, who has been a healthy scratch the last two games, is in line to be active Sunday against the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Per head coach Jerod Mayo, Thornton has "had a great week of practice. Hopefully it translates." With Ja'Lynn Polk dealing with a concussion, Thornton should have an opportunity to work into the Patriots' wideout rotation Week 8 behind DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne, but until the speedster puts up some consistent production he's off the fantasy lineup radar. In five games thus far, Thornton has caught two of his five targets for 27 yards.
