Chiefs free agent Tyquan Thornton gets good news on $1.1 million contract

There are a lot of things happening this offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs.

There's the question of Travis Kelce's potential retirement, along with his Taylor Swift wedding. There's the uncertainty about Patrick Mahomes' recovery from a torn ACL. They've already landed a new offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.

You have to go a ways down the list before you get to Tyquan Thornton.

The former draft pick bust of the New England Patriots flashed good things in the 2025 season for the Chiefs, but now he's set to be an unrestricted free agent.

"Thornton reestablished himself as a viable third wide receiver during his run in Kansas City," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote in a new article on Thursday. "Playing with Patrick Mahomes obviously helped, and Thornton did experience the occasional drop, but the 2022 Patriots second-round pick was able to get open downfield on a regular basis before suffering a concussion, which eventually ended his season. He also handled kick returns for the Chiefs, taking his first snaps on special teams as a pro in the process."

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It's not clear whether the Chiefs would want to bring Thornton back. It seems like if the price is right, it probably would make sense.

The cost is a fascinating layer here, though, because Thornton has the pedigree to draw some attention and finally showed he could produce a bit in a good situation.

The way Barnwell frames it, Thornton could be looking at a better contract than some might expect.

"He will also be only 25 years old when he hits the market in March," Barnwell writes. "There might be some sticker shock on the one-year deals given to (Tutu) Atwell and (Dyami) Brown given the meager returns, but Thornton should still be able to land a one-year deal for a significant raise on the $1.1 million he played for in 2025."

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Atwell, for example, made $10 million in the 2025 season. That didn't work for the Rams, as he caught just six passes (for an explosive 192 yards).

Thornton can come out the better side of that story, though, if he finds the right fit. Clearly he still has talent.

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