Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with a maximum value of $14 million, NFL Network reported on Monday.
Thornton, 25, had the best season of his career last year with the Chiefs. In 14 games, he produced a career-high 438 receiving yards on 19 receptions, including three touchdowns.
Known for his elite speed, Thornton was able to establish a strong connection on deep passes with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Such production made Thornton — who joined the Chiefs through their practice squad in late 2024 — one of the players on last year’s roster who exceeded expectations. After Week 5, Thornton led the Chiefs in receiving yards, posting 272 yards and three touchdowns.
One surprise from the Chiefs is that they didn’t maximize Thornton’s potential in the second half of the season once fellow receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy returned to the lineup. Thornton played above 30% of the offensive snaps only once in his final seven games.
He entered the league in 2022 with the New England Patriots as the 50th pick. In 28 games with the Patriots, Thornton recorded just a combined 39 receptions for 385 yards and three total touchdowns.
ESPN’s Nate Taylor contributed to this report.
