The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to revive their offense and an important step in that process will be their moves in free agency. The Chiefs made a big splash on Day 1 by agreeing to terms with Kenneth Walker III, but they made another move late on Monday night, agreeing to a two-year, $14 million contract to bring back Tyquan Thornton according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Thornton, who will reportedly have $11 million guaranteed in the deal, will look to build off a breakout season where he caught 19 passes for a career-high 438 yards and three touchdowns. But his return should also take a higher spot on the depth chart, which could indicate a shakeup at the position.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has been speculated to leave in free agency, but the move could also say a lot about what the Chiefs think of Jalen Royals. After a quiet rookie season, the Chiefs may have sounded the alarm for Royals entering his second season and it gives the young receiver something to prove heading into the offseason.
Jalen Royals Faces Uphill Climb After Chiefs Bring Back Tyquan Thornton
Royals’s situation has grown much more dire after the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering window. Brown’s departure was expected to help him climb up a spot and whispers about Thornton leaving, potentially to rejoin former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and the New York Giants, also had his stock up. But Thornton’s return throws a wrench into that thinking.
The Chiefs still have Rashee Rice as the top receiver in the offense and Xavier Worthy is locked into the No. 2 role. Thornton’s return puts him as the third receiver, leaving Royals fourth on the depth chart. It should also be noted that free agency doesn’t technically begin until Wednesday. The Chiefs could still opt to bring back JuJu Smith-Schuster or add another depth receiver in free agency and that doesn’t rule out the chance Kansas City takes a receiver in this year’s draft.
If the Chiefs make another addition, it would be quite the stumble by Royals. A fourth-round pick out of Utah State, Royals made an impression during the early days of training camp, establishing a rapport with Patrick Mahomes and drawing praise from Andy Reid.
“He’s catching the football well,” Reid said via Arrowhead Pride’s John Dixon on Aug. 3. “[He’s] strong [and] looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”
With Rice suspended for the first six games of last season, the opportunity was there for Royals to be a steal. Instead, he battled knee tendinitis which forced him to miss the first two games of the regular season and finish the 2025 campaign with just two catches for four yards over seven games.
While Royals could be healthy, he has a significant uphill climb that could get steeper as the offseason rolls along. It’s also telling that the Chiefs brought back Thornton when they could have given Royals a bigger role and hope he stays on the field in 2026.
But hope is not a strategy in the NFL and the Chiefs may have tipped their hand on what they really think of Royals on Monday night.