The Drake Maye Era is officially here, but the start of the youngster’s career could inadvertently lead to a Tyquan Thornton trade. A second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, then-head coach Bill Belichick selected the Baylor product intending to make him a reliable vertical element for quarterback Mac Jones and offensive coordinator Matt Patricia. That never materialized, as the speedster recorded just 22 receptions for 247 yards as a rookie and followed it up with 13 receptions for 91 yards in 2023. With Belichick gone after the season, nobody knew what the future could hold for New England’s second-round pick.
With a new head coach and offensive coordinator, Thornton impressed throughout the offseason and earned a Week 1 starting job. Unfortunately, these results couldn’t translate to the regular season, as the wideout recorded just two receptions for 27 yards in Week 1 and hasn’t recorded a catch since. The Patriots made Thornton a healthy scratch in Week 6, and he responded with an interesting post on social media. You don’t need to be a genius to read between the lines and see that Tyquan Thornton wants a trade, and while nobody will give up more than a conditional late-round pick, the Chiefs and Chargers could decide he’s worth the risk.
Tyquan Thornton on IG the day before he was scratched: pic.twitter.com/xw5GG3FgG3
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) October 13, 2024
Chargers, Chiefs Could Trade For Tyquan Thornton After Week 6 Healthy Scratch
The Los Angeles Chargers are 3-2 thanks mostly to their strong defense and rushing attack. However, they must throw the ball eventually, and they don’t have the players to do that. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston have had their moments on the young season, but neither player is a proven contributor and both suffered injuries in the Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos. Tyquan Thornton is far from the prize jewel on the trade market, but he could be a good consolation prize for a team that’s not quite ready to go all-in.
While the Chargers have a winning record, they’re not an elite team by any stretch of the imagination. Jim Harbaugh is still working on building this team in his image, and they’re not a wide receiver away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. With that in mind, the Chargers shouldn’t pursue guys like Davante Adams and should instead consider a more modest trade target like Tyquan Thornton. The former second-round pick should be available for basically nothing, and a more stable organization like Los Angeles could get something out of the 24-year-old.
Chiefs Getting Desperate
Unlike the Chargers, the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs are all-in on the 2024 season and should pursue better trade options than Tyquan Thornton. However, just because they want to land guys like Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and Diontae Johnson doesn’t mean they will. Just about every contender wants another wide receiver, and there aren’t enough good ones to go around. Nobody wants to help the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, so they’ll need to dramatically outbid the competition for any player on the market.
Instead of doing that, they could go with a low-cost trade for Tyquan Thornton. Patrick Mahomes hasn’t been his usual dominant self, but the Chiefs still have one of the league’s better offenses. Travis Kelce looked good the past two weeks, Juju Smith-Schuster still has something in his tank, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy is remarkably explosive and should become more consistent as the season progresses. The Chiefs don’t need another star, they just need another set of hands. Thornton’s speed should play well with Mahomes’ arm, and if he’s going to work out anywhere, it will be in Kansas City.
Main Photo: Katie Stratman – USA Today Sports
