The Kansas City Chiefs lost their best deep threat when wide receiver Tyquan Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle, but they could find some help on the trade market.
Thornton is expected to miss most or all of the regular season after suffering the injury in a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, going out during what was a career-best performance. Though the Chiefs still have a strong offense behind running back Kenneth Walker III and a resurgent Patrick Mahomes, reporter Jared Dubin of CBS Sports suggested the team could hit the trade market to find a deep threat replacement for Thornton.
Chiefs Could Offer Change of Scenery to First-Round Draft Pick
Dubin suggested one trade for each NFL contender, putting the Chiefs as a logical landing spot for wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
“The Chiefs are in desperate need of wide receiver help — especially (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) after they lost Tyquan Thornton to a potentially season-ending injury,” Dubin wrote. “They have Rashee Rice to work the underneath zones, but nobody to beat defenses down the field or even truly threaten them deep to open things up for Rice and the run game.”
Dubin added that Thomas flashed potential in his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he made 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been on a steady decline since then, this season making just nine receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown.
“When Thomas is at his best, as we saw during his rookie season, that’s what he does,” Dubin wrote. “The Jaguars probably don’t want to trade him, but he seems to be falling out of favor and even out of the lineup with Josh Cameron’s recent emergence; he hasn’t played more than 62% of snaps in any game this year. If Marvin Harrison Jr. can be traded, so can Thomas.”
Chiefs Face Immediate Need for Wide Receiver Help
While Thomas could join the Chiefs closer to the trade deadline, they will need some immediate help for this week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs have already ruled Rice out for the game, leaving Mahomes to rely more heavily on tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Xavier Worthy.
“They’re ready,” Mahomes said this week, via ESPN. “They’ve put in the work. Obviously, we’ve had the guys in front of them, with Tyquan going out there and playing great, so they’ve had to put in the work at practice. They’re going to step into the role and do their job, so I’m excited for them. We’ll put them in position to succeed. I have a lot of trust in those guys.”
Chiefs Predicted to Land First-Round WR as Tyquan Thornton Replacement