The New England Patriots waited three seasons for Tyquan Thornton‘s rare speed to become reliable NFL production.
A Sunday night in Kansas City distributed a sharper reminder of what never developed in Foxborough.
Thornton caught all four of his targets for 86 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 33-30 overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 20. His biggest reception came on third-and-11 early in the third quarter, when Patrick Mahomes found him for 45 yards to the Colts’ 1-yard line. Kansas City scored on the next play.
Thornton finished second on the team in receiving yards, trailing only Travis Kelce‘s 101.
The 86-yard performance more than doubled Thornton’s best receiving game for the Patriots. He never topped 37 yards during his 28 appearances with New England, which released the former second-round pick in November 2024.
Andy Reid Says Thornton ‘Took Advantage’
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid credited the receiver for using momentum from a strong summer to perform well in a prime-time opportunity.
“Tyquan had a real good training camp. I think he’s just kind of carried that over into this,” Reid said in a video shared by KC Sports Network. “He’s well deserving of what he got, and then he took advantage of it by making the play.”
Andy Reid on WR Tyquan Thornton’s performance on Sunday night
Thornton’s 45-yard catch gave Kansas City the ball inches from the goal line and set up the score that returned the lead to the Chiefs. He added a 30-yard reception in overtime, helping move Kansas City into Indianapolis territory on the drive that ended with the winning field goal.
His final line — four receptions, 86 yards and 21.5 yards per catch — is listed in the NFL’s official game log. Thornton produced those numbers on 47 snaps and generated 2.39 yards per route run, per Arrowhead Pride’s snap-count review.
Patriots reporter Doug Kyed reacted on X by calling it “pretty wild” that Kansas City turned Thornton into a serviceable receiver after his New England tenure reached such an unceremonious end.
The Chiefs saw enough during Thornton’s first full season in their offense to invest further. He caught 19 passes for a career-high 438 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, averaging 23.1 yards per reception.
Kansas City then brought him back on a two-year, $11 million contract that can reach $14 million.
Patriots Could Never Unlock Thornton’s 4.28 Speed
New England selected Thornton with the No. 50 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds.
The speed rarely factored into explosive plays for the Patriots. He finished his tenure with 39 catches for 385 yards and two receiving touchdowns across 28 games.
The final season made the separation inevitable. Thornton managed four catches for 47 yards in six appearances in 2024 and had been inactive in four of five games when the Patriots waived him that November.
Kansas City placed him on its practice squad three days later.
Reid later revealed that Bill Belichick had called him and vouched for Thornton’s potential, via Arrowhead Pride. The recommendation bought Thornton a shot; Kansas City’s coaching and quarterback situation helped turn it into a role.
Thornton has yet to become a high-volume receiver. Nonetheless, he has become dangerous enough to affect coverage and punish a defense when his chances arrive.
In the end, Thornton’s action sparks a lingering thought for New England of what could’ve been.
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