The Kansas City Chiefs have no more room for error as they’re fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive heading into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs have lost four of their last five games, including last week’s loss to the Houston Texans, where they only scored 10 points. Kansas City’s offense will hope to bounce back this week vs. a Chargers’ defense that forced five turnovers in Week 14.
The Chiefs’ offense will be missing one of their key wide receivers for this matchup, which is not ideal, but it could create a big opportunity for Tyquan Thornton. According to Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney, veteran wideout Hollywood Brown will be out for personal reasons.
In his last three games, Brown has struggled to make a notable impact, tallying four receptions (five targets) for 65 yards and a touchdown, which isn’t exactly good for a WR3 in the Chiefs’ offense.
That said, Thornton now has a chance to showcase his blistering speed, which he did in Week 1 against the Chargers in Brazil. In that game, the speedy wide receiver had two receptions (four targets) for 41 yards. And from that point on, it was clear that Thornton became Mahomes’ go-to option on deep shots with Xavier Worthy.
Hollywood Brown’s Absence Creates New Opportunity for Tyquan Thornton in Week 15
For Thornton, Sunday’s game is a perfect opportunity for him to re-establish himself as a threat in the Chiefs’ passing game and make an early case to be the WR3 in 2026.
Brown is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so it's not guaranteed that he returns in 2026. If that’s the case, the Chiefs will need someone to fill that WR3 role. Not to mention Thornton is also set to become a free agent, so these last four games are huge.
Thornton can make his case against Los Angeles, which plays a lot of Cover 3 defense (34%), followed by Cover 4 (25%), per Football Insights/Fantasy Points Data. Cover 3 is typically designed to keep things in front of you as a defender. But you have to think that the Chiefs will try to test Los Angeles’ cornerbacks if Patrick Mahomes gets some time in the pocket.
Rashee Rice (4 recs for 34 yards) and Worthy (3 recs for 55 yards) are coming off rough games against the Texans, but that won’t stop Mahomes from targeting them, and the Chargers will not take their eyes off them. Therefore, if either wideout can get off, it will only help Thornton on the outside or wherever else the Chiefs choose to line him up. Thornton doesn’t have many stats to speak of since the Week 10 bye — three receptions (six targets) for 80 yards in KC’s last four games.
However, if the former Patriot can come close to that total in Week 15 and open up the field for Rice and Worthy, it could help secure a spot in Kansas City for 2026. It could even catch another team's attention, offering Thornton a chance to be paid more than what the Chiefs can offer. After all, Spotrac is projecting the team to be more than $34.1 million over the salary cap, making it a challenge to re-sign anyone seeking a big payday.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Thornton can take any steps towards securing his financial future — either with the Chiefs or another team — in Week 15.