Patrick Mahomes did not have much to work with at wide receiver last season. The Chiefs’ depth chart was thin, and Mahomes needed someone he could trust to run those deep routes. A 25-year-old WR stepped up to do exactly that when it mattered most. 

Now, Mahomes has revealed exactly why that connection worked so well, and it all started with the quarterback testing if the receiver’s speed was as advertised.

“I had to see if the speed was real 🤣🤣🤣,” Mahomes commented on an Instagram reel posted by Tyquan Thornton. 

Thornton had posted a clip from the Chiefs’ training camp showing Mahomes launching the ball deep, and the wide receiver doing exactly what he does best: flying. Thornton streaked down the turf and hauled in a one-handed grab at the end of a 40-yard run, reminding everyone that he is the same player who clocked a 4.28-second 40-yard dash to become the fastest wide receiver in his 2022 draft class.

“This was our first spin at it 😂🐐#PSquad🥲💫,” Thornton captioned the post.

However, that connection between the two didn’t happen overnight. Tyquan Thornton arrived from New England midway through the 2024 season and spent the rest of that year on the KC practice squad. Still, the Chiefs signed him on a one-year, $1.1 million deal heading into 2025. That bet paid off in a big way.

Thornton went on to have the best season of his career. He finished last season with 19 receptions on 37 targets for 438 yards, three touchdowns, and a 23.1 receiving yards per reception across 14 games and four starts. All career highs except his total catch count (22 in his rookie year in 2022).

Thornton helped KC when they were banged up and depleted in their receiving corps. Rashee Rice was out with a suspension, and Xavier Worthy went down with an injury. Thornton stepped up. In Week 3 against the Giants, he turned in the best game of his career. He had five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

That effort didn’t go unnoticed by the man throwing him the ball. After the Chiefs’ 22–9 win over the Giants, Mahomes specifically credited the work Thornton had put in with him during the offseason in Texas.​

“I would throw to him a couple of times last year, just to see what he had, and you could see that he had juice,” Mahomes said in September. “And now, just getting into OTAs and then into training camp, he was one of those guys that was down there with me working in Texas, and so I knew he was gonna be a good football player, but he’s even exceeding my expectations. He’s stepping up whenever the opportunity has been provided.”

Now, however, Thornton is an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2026 season and is in line for a significantly bigger payday than the $1.1 million he earned last year.​ The question is whether that payday comes from Kansas City or somewhere else.

Tyquan Thornton wants to stay, but at what price?

The Chiefs have worked hard to get their finances in order. After entering the offseason more than $55 million over the salary cap and dead last in the league, KC restructured to creat $43.56 million in cap space. 

That has pushed the Chiefs into positive cap territory with $24.88 million available. But the team has to choose between wide receivers: Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Thornton. All three are set to become free agents on March 11, the day the new league year begins. Kansas City cannot realistically keep all three.

But if it were up to Thornton, he would not be going anywhere. The 25-year-old made his feelings known loud and clear during Radio Row at Super Bowl LX in San Francisco.

“Definitely want to be back in Kansas City,” Thornton said. “But, you know, I mean, I want to — wherever I go — I want to have my fair share of targets, go out there and contribute and play at a high level.”​

Thornton wants to return, but he also wants more snaps. The Chiefs will have to convince him that a bigger role is waiting. If they do, the numbers suggest a deal is workable. Spotrac projects Thornton’s market value at $2.84 million per year, while Arrowhead Addict predicts the Chiefs will bring him back on a one-year deal worth $5 million with potential incentives.