{"id":247710,"date":"2025-09-23T17:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T21:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=247710"},"modified":"2025-09-25T10:25:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T14:25:21","slug":"chiefs-tyquan-thornton-patrick-mahomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/09\/23\/chiefs-tyquan-thornton-patrick-mahomes\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs’ Tyquan Thornton Growing Chemistry with Mahomes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

When the Kansas City Chiefs <\/a>signed Tyquan Thornton to their practice squad last November, few could have predicted he\u2019d be playing a featured role in the offense less than a year later. But in the Chiefs\u2019 22-9 victory over the New York Giants<\/a> on Sunday night, Thornton not only delivered his best game as a pro \u2014 he showed signs of becoming a reliable target for Patrick Mahomes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tyquan Thornton\u2019s timing and connection with Mahomes are steadily improving<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Thornton finished with five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown, pacing a Kansas City receiving corps that has been thinned by injuries and suspensions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that my quarterback is trusting me more and more,\u201d Thornton said in the locker room. \u201cNot just last night but in the previous games as well. I love the moment and the opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building Trust with Mahomes<\/h3>\n
\"Sunday
Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The highlight of Thornton\u2019s night came early in the third quarter when Mahomes connected with him for a 5-yard touchdown to give Kansas City a 16-6 lead. For Mahomes, it was more than just a score \u2014 it was a sign of the chemistry that\u2019s beginning to develop with a receiver who was once considered a depth piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s fast, he\u2019s a big target, and he runs good routes,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cThe chemistry is still developing but plays like that build trust quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mahomes pointed to the sequence late in the first half when a deep ball to Thornton was overturned on replay. On the very next snap, the quarterback went right back to him with a perfectly placed sideline throw.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I hit that one to Tyquan, I thought from then on I did a good job of recognizing when to take shots, when to hit the stuff underneath, and just letting guys make plays,\u201d Mahomes said.<\/p>\n

A Fresh Start in Kansas City<\/h3>\n

Thornton\u2019s path to this moment has been anything but smooth. Drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots<\/a>\u00a0in 2022 after a standout career at Baylor, he entered the league with blazing speed \u2014 running a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. But injuries derailed his time in Foxborough. A fractured clavicle as a rookie and nagging hamstring issues in subsequent seasons stunted his development. By the time the Patriots waived him in November 2024, Thornton had just 35 career receptions for 491 yards and four touchdowns across three seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d<\/a> Thornton reflected. \u201cWhen I first got here, coming from New England, I saw how these guys practice. It\u2019s so efficient \u2014 the details, the routine plays. I was just a guy coming in, trying to be part of that, making those plays too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chiefs, always on the lookout for undervalued talent, took a chance on Thornton. Now, with injuries sidelining rookies Xavier Worthy<\/a> and Jalen Royals, <\/a>Hollywood Brown still recovering, and Rashee Rice<\/a>\u00a0serving a six-game suspension, Thornton has become a key contributor.<\/p>\n

Through three games this season, he has nine catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. To put that in perspective, he\u2019s nearly doubled his entire yardage total from 2023 with the Patriots (47 yards in six games) in less than a month.<\/p>\n

Rising in a Shorthanded Group<\/h3>\n

Kansas City\u2019s wide receiver depth chart has been in flux since last season. Skyy Moore and DeAndre Hopkins were released, while JuJu Smith-Schuster<\/a>\u00a0returned as a veteran presence. For now, Thornton and Smith-Schuster are Mahomes\u2019 primary outside targets, with tight end Travis Kelce<\/a>\u00a0continuing to draw the most attention from defenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice reps become game reality,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cYou work at the little things, challenge yourself, and when Sunday comes, you give yourself a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head coach Andy Reid<\/a> praised Thornton\u2019s persistence and preparation. \u201cHe stayed ready,\u201d Reid said. \u201cHe came in here, worked his tail off, and when his number was called, he stepped up. That\u2019s what you want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Chiefs, the hope is that Thornton\u2019s emergence will provide much-needed balance for an offense that has struggled to find consistent production from its wideouts. Mahomes has spread the ball around early this season, but Thornton\u2019s combination of size (6-foot-2), speed, and route-running has stood out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still learning the system, but you can see the confidence growing,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u00a0Seizing opportunities<\/h3>\n

Thornton knows the opportunity in front of him may not have come without the misfortunes of others, but he\u2019s determined to make the most of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just try to stay ready,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cWhen the ball comes my way, I want to make plays. That\u2019s what this game is about.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Sunday\u2019s performance, Thornton is no longer just a feel-good story about a player salvaging his career. He\u2019s quickly becoming an essential piece of Kansas City\u2019s offense \u2014 and his chemistry with Mahomes may be the spark that steadies the Chiefs\u2019 passing attack as the season unfolds.<\/p>\n

Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff – Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the Chiefs, the hope is that Thornton\u2019s emergence will provide much-needed balance for an offense that has struggled to find consistent production from its wideouts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5620,"featured_media":247897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,36,6431],"tags":[188,7811,7466,1576,9349],"class_list":["post-247710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chiefs","category-nfl-news","category-nfl-teams","tag-andy-reid","tag-chiefs-featured","tag-kansas-city-chiefs-news","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-tyquan-thornton"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5620"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247710"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247901,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247710\/revisions\/247901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}