The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of roster holes to fix and are tight on money, but this receiver would be cheap and help solve some problems.
The Kansas City Chiefs face some tough decisions this offseason as the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
After a disappointing season that was highlighted by the Week 15 season-ending injury to Patrick Mahomes’ left knee, the Chiefs must go back to the drawing board and figure out how to fix what went wrong before next season.
It will be difficult to improve the current roster without restructuring massive contracts, making cuts or trades considering the organization is over $50 million over the salary cap as of now. Even with restructuring the contracts of the three highest paid players on the roster (Mahomes, Chris Jones, Trey Smith) and cutting right tackle Jawaan Taylor (team benefits most from cutting his contract), the Chiefs could still face financial troubles this offseason.
With several positions needing a revamp in all phases, General Manager Brett Veach must get crafty with his free agency deals and get the most bang for his buck. One position group that needs help is wide receiver, despite entering the 2025 season with the most talented receiver room Kansas City has had in a long time.
WRs Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy were supposed to be an electric tandem for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense this season, but that hope quickly dwindled when Rice was sentenced to serve a six-game suspension for an off-field incident. Then, on the third play of Kansas City’s opening drive against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, Worthy collided with star tight end Travis Kelce and sustained a torn right labrum.
Worthy missed the next two games but played through the injury with a brace. He wasn’t the same player he was last season when he returned, and it tested the Chiefs’ depth at receiver.
One player who went under the radar but showed promise during the season was former New England Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton. Thornton signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Chiefs and wasn’t called upon much until the middle of the season.
Thornton was impressive as a deep-threat and put up 438 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 receptions. He earned the trust of Mahomes, who praised his ability to step up when the team needed him.
“I knew he was going to be a good player, but he's even exceeding my expectations,” Mahomes told the media in late September. “He's stepping up whenever the opportunity has been provided for him.”
The Chiefs would be silly not to bring Thornton back. He was a reliable and trusted option that would be affordable for a team that needs to save as much money as possible. Thornton also expressed his desire to return to Kansas City.
“I would definitely want to be back to Kansas City,” Thornton said Wednesday on Sports Radio 810 WHB. “Wherever I go, I want to have my fair share of targets and go out there and contribute and play at a high level.”
Although the Chiefs didn’t utilize him much when Rice returned from his suspension, they should have and it may have changed the outcome of the season had they played their cards better. There’s room for all three receivers to have success together and it would be a lot easier on Mahomes to have a plethora of trusted receivers.