The Kansas City Chiefs have played host to some of the fastest players in the league over the last few years, with Xavier Worthy coming in as a first-round pick in 2024 and Marquise Brown arriving via free agency following the loss of Tyreek Hill. Speed kills, and Andy Reid is well aware of this.
This belief in physical tools abov all else is likely what is leading them to take a chance on former New England Patriots draft bust Tyquan Thornton. Even after the Chiefs added Jalen Royals in the 2025 NFL Draft, Thornton has a shot to earn the WR5 role.
Thornton is certainly not lacking in the speed department, which is likely why the Chiefs are rolling the dice on him. He also isn’t lacking in confidence, as he believes he can beat the man who currently owns the record for fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in a race.
“Tyquan [Thornton] called me out last year, right after the Super Bowl, but I feel like I’m the fastest,” Worthy said last week. “Hollywood, Tyquan, we got a lot of guys out there ready to compete and a lot of guys ready to get the ball deep.”
Thornton was regarded as a player who could be picked in the fourth or fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which is why it was such an eyebrow-raising move for Bill Belichick to take him in the second round. The slender deep threat never managed to become a quality NFL route-runner.
Thornton caught just 39 passes and found the end zone just twice on Patriots teams that had some of the worst wide receiver depth in the league. Still, he can fly down the field with anyone, and no one can coach that.
Going from Mac Jones and rookie-year Drake Maye to Patrick Mahomes is like trading in a Plymouth Belvedere for a Rolls-Royce. That alone might be enough to get a clearer evaluation of the type of player Thornton can be in the right scenario.
While it might be a bold claim to assert dominance over Worthy in the speed domain, Thornton’s confidence despite being in such an adverse situation could be what he needs to get his Kansas City career started off on the right track. Early returns suggest he has been impressing his new coaching staff.
