The Kansas City Chiefs had a busy day in free agency. After adding key pieces on both sides of the ball, they found a path to retain one of their premier offensive weapons.
Last season, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton put together a solid season and proved that Baylor wideouts can have success in the NFL. Thornton was a bright spot on the offense. He was a vertical challenge for opposing cornerbacks and, with his speed, could run deep routes as well or better than Xavier Worthy.
Still, he was slated for free agency, but the Chiefs found a path to get him under contract. Per Mike Garafolo, Thornton gets a two-year, $11 million deal that could pay out $14.5 million with incentives.
With the suspension of Rashee Rice and the week one injury to Xavier Worthy, Thornton became a big-time performer for Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Despite ending his season early with a concussion, he had three touchdowns and 438 receiving yards. He averaged 23.1 yards per catch, which was the highest in the NFL in 2025.
Kansas City had hoped to add a veteran wide receiver, but with the future of Rice unknown, retaining Thornton was a high priority. To his credit, Thornton was highly motivated to return to the Chiefs and catch passes from Mahomes.
With the Chiefs’ starting quarterback likely to miss off-season work, Thornton knows the offense and should be able to return to the same level of play once QB1 is back on the field.
He becomes the second offensive star to re-up with the Chiefs. Tight End Travis Kelce agreed to a one-year deal earlier in the day.
Stay tuned to Chiefs Blitz for all the Chiefs free agent news.
