Chiefs Target Tyquan Thornton, A Former Patriots Second Rounder, Early In Preseason Loss

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton catches a ball during OTAs on June 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

On the very first pass in Week One of the preseason, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes targeted wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, and the fourth-year receiver drew a key pass interference penalty against rookie second-round pick Will Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals.

Then, on the Chiefs’ second drive of the Cardinals’ 20-17 victory — and Kansas City’s sixth offensive play — Thornton gained 15 yards against Budda Baker, a seven-time Pro Bowler.

“Thornton is doing a nice job,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said.

Indeed, Thornton is an intriguing player.

Though he was mostly a bust with the New England Patriots — with just 39 receptions during his three years in the NFL — he was a second-round pick in 2022 and has impressed during organized team activities and training camp with the Chiefs this year.

A few days after the Patriots waived him, the Chiefs signed Thornton to their practice squad on Nov. 19, 2024.

Then, Thornton signed a one-year, $1,1 million contract with the Chiefs during the 2025 offseason, citing Mahomes, Reid and the team’s strong wide receiver room.

That room includes the leader of the wide receivers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, who played with Thornton in New England in 2023.

The two receivers remain close and often catch passes together after practice.

“We got that tight bond,” Thornton said. “That’s my guy.”

Another former Patriots teammate on the Chiefs is Bailey Zappe, the quarterback who played with Thornton in 2022 and 2023.

On a 1st-and-10 play in the second quarter vs. the Cardinals, Zappe, who struggled all game, overthrew Thornton, missing him on a deep pass.

Though they didn’t connect on that one, the Chiefs have made resurrecting their deep passing game a priority this offseason and hope the speedy Thornton, who ran a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, can bolster that.

He also can help on special teams. Dave Toub, the respected special teams coordinator, said Thornton is the team’s best gunner, a position that lines up on the outside and is tasked with taking down the returner.

Thornton also was the first Chiefs player to line up as the punt returner on Saturday.

“He’s getting a lot of reps everywhere,” Toub said.

Thornton attributes his special team prowess to learning from Matthew Slater, a 10-time Pro Bowler on special teams and his Patriots teammate in 2023 and 2024.

Though Thornton’s ability on that unit helps his chances of making the roster, competition among the Chiefs wide receivers remains fierce.

And Jason Brownlee, who is in his second season with the Chiefs and originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2023, certainly threw his hat into the ring.

He caught Mahomes’ lone touchdown pass of the game — Mahomes had a remarkable and unique line of 1-for-1 for one yard and one touchdown in one minute of action — as he beat cornerback Max Melton on a fade route.

“A nice catch there,” Reid said, “he’s played well.”

Brownlee also drew an illegal contact on rookie Denzel Burke on a 3rd and 9 in the second quarter, resulting in a first down in the second quarter — well after Mahomes left the game.

That franchise quarterback has liked Thornton since the Chiefs signed him last year.

“(He has) a ton of big-play ability,” Mahomes said.