A former Patriots second-round pick who found a fresh start in Kansas City after a disappointing three years in New England.
Tyquan Thornton's career took a sharp turn in November 2024 when the Patriots released him just over two years after drafting him in the second round out of Baylor. Picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs, he rebuilt his role and delivered his most productive NFL season yet in 2025.
Path to the league
Thornton played four seasons at Baylor from 2018 to 2021, catching 143 passes for 2,242 yards and 19 touchdowns. His best season came in 2021, when he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors with 62 receptions for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns. The New England Patriots drafted him in the second round, 50th overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Despite fracturing his clavicle in the preseason, Thornton posted 22 catches for 247 yards and two receiving touchdowns as a rookie, plus a rushing score. Against Cleveland that year he scored a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game, becoming the first Patriots wide receiver to do so since Deion Branch in 2004. New England released him in November 2024 after three seasons that fell short of second-round expectations.
2025 season recap
Thornton signed with the Chiefs' practice squad after his release and made the most of his opportunity in 2025, appearing in 14 games with four starts and posting 19 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns before a season-ending concussion. He re-signed with Kansas City on a two-year, $11 million contract in March 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tyquan Thornton
- ESPN: Tyquan Thornton
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
14 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | chiefs | 4 | 11 | 219 | 19.9 | 2 | 55 |
| 2025 | chiefs | 14 | 19 | 438 | 23.1 | 3 | 61 |
| 2024 | patriots | 6 | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 0 | 17 |
| 2023 | patriots | 9 | 13 | 91 | 7.0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2022 | patriots | 13 | 22 | 247 | 11.2 | 2 | 29 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | patriots | 9 | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 0 | 39 |
| 2022 | patriots | 13 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 1 | 19 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- injuredReserveOrOut
- College
- Baylor
- Hometown
- Miami, FL, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- day-to-day
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