Tyquan Thornton has thrived since joining Chiefs, making injury ‘rough one’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.

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Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton was enjoying the best game of his career — his first with 100-plus receiving yards and first with multiple touchdowns — until it became the most painful.

Thornton has thrived since he came to Kansas City, signing with the practice squad in November 2024 after New England waived him, but Sunday against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas he reached new heights until exiting with an ankle injury that could sideline him for the rest of season.

The timing is a shame for Thornton, who was finally thriving after being labeled a bust early in his NFL career. That made the sight of him exiting on the back of a medical golf cart with his left ankle immobilized painful for his teammates.

“That’s a rough one when you see your teammate, especially a guy like Tyquan,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Great father, great husband and all that, just his attitude — you guys deal with him, his attitude is unbelievable, great for the team and kind of a leader of that group in there. For that to happen — especially with the year he’s having, great year to this point and a great play to boot on top of that — it’s a tough one to see for all the guys.”

A former second-round pick from Baylor, Thornton struggled to make an impact with the Patriots. He totaled 39 catches for 385 yards with two touchdowns in 28 games, including 13 starts, across three seasons before the organization gave up.

Thornton emerged as a deep threat with the Chiefs last season. In 14 games, including four starts, he only made 19 catches, but Thornton tallied 438 yards and three scores, surpassing his production in New England and getting off to an even better start this season.

Nine of his 10 most-productive games in terms of receiving yards have come with the Chiefs — including a four-catch, 86-yard performance in a Week 2 overtime victory against Indianapolis and Sunday when he tied a career-high with five catches for a career-best 111 yards.

But it’s not strictly because of the chemistry they’ve developed that left Patrick Mahomes emotional as Thornton was being treated and taken from the field.

“I won’t say exactly what I said, but he just knows that we’re in his corner at the end of the day,” Mahomes said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. He truly is. He has a smile on his face every single time he’s in the building.”

Late in the first quarter, Thornton caught his first touchdown of the season, a 2-yard pass on a variation of Andy Reid’s famed “Corndog” play.

Late in the second quarter, Patrick Mahomes connected with Thornton on a 42-yard bomb, the key play in a game-tying field-goal drive.

Early in the fourth quarter, Thornton ran a beautiful corner route from a bunch set, finding space between two Raiders defenders for an 8-yard touchdown, marking the first two-score game of his NFL career.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs trailing 19-17, Mahomes lobbed a deep shot downfield on third-and-5, which Thornton hauled in for a 55-yard catch that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

“Tyquan knew that if he got Cover Zero that the middle of the whole field’s open, so to run to a spot,” Mahomes said. “I just threw it up and he ran underneath. Obviously, it sucks that he got hurt on that play.”

But Las Vegas cornerback Treydan Stukes, while making the tackle, landed on the back of Thornton’s legs and pinned his left ankle under him as he landed.

Thornton, who held on despite the pain, rolled to his back with his ankle clearly dislocated as teammates looked on with concern before he was carted off the field.

Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle, according to NFL Network Senior Reporter Ian Rapoport. It was reduced, or put back into proper alignment by doctors.

“That doesn’t look good, but he’s going to fly back with us and we’ll get further evaluation later here,” Reid said.

Rapoport reported that Thornton will have a full evaluation Monday in Kansas City and is expected to get a second opinion.

“Out indefinitely, but in good spirits,” Rapoport wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

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