Every year, there’s one wide receiver who comes to the Kansas City Chiefs as an underdog and turns his chances of making the active roster into a major talking point. This year, that candidate is, without a doubt, Tyquan Thornton, and on Tuesday, the buzz only continued to get louder.
Not only did Thornton turn heads with a greater display of chemistry with Patrick Mahomes than any previous day in training camp, but Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy sang his praises in remarks to reporters from the podium at St. Joseph.
The Chiefs added Thornton to the practice squad in the second half of last season, and Nagy says that time on the roster allowed him to learn the offense enough so that his elite speed and instincts could help him elevate his game above the rest of the competition in this summer’s training camp.
“[Tyquan] came here in the middle of last year, so mentally being able to learn the offense—he’s transitioned that now into being able to play fast out of the huddle. Then you get these opportunities to make plays, and he’s done that,” said Nagy.
One of the best offensive plays of the day in St. Joseph belonged to Mahomes and Thornton, and it was widely shared on social media.
Hard to say what was better- Mahomes’ placement or Thornton’s grab #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/GSGXovgFgs
— Taylor Burr (@TaylorBurr10) August 5, 2025
“You saw today, he had an excellent catch on that. He turned his head and ran a little bit of a corner angle route and made a great snag. And I think there’s a lot of trust building right now between him and Pat [Mahomes],” said Nagy.
What makes Thornton’s case potentially different than other preseason favorites before him, according to Nagy, is not only his intelligence but his experience as well. The fact that he’s been through this before, as a former second-round pick with the New England Patriots, has kept him from being overwhelmed at other times like a rookie might.
“He’s a smart kid. He does a lot of things the right way. You can tell he’s been in this league a little bit, and he’s just, he has that experience factor to help out these young guys too.”
Only time will tell if Thornton can sway the minds of Chiefs’ coaches in order to secure a roster spot, and it’s only a practice on a Tuesday at training camp, but everything is pointing the right way for now. That’s all Thornton can do—stack up one good day after another hoping that it leads to finding a new home away from Foxborough.
