The Kansas City Chiefs lost Xavier Worthy just minutes into the season. They were without Rashee Rice because of a suspension, so what was an already decimated wide receivers corps couldn't take another hit.
Tyquan Thornton emerged as a big-play specialist in the early stages of the season. His chemistry with Patrick Mahomes was evident, and he looked poised to be this year's feel-good story. Then, he fell behind in the pecking order, and he might be counting the days to leave Arrowhead Stadium.
Tyquan Thornton Should be Looking Forward to Free Agency
Thornton is about to become a free agent at the end of the season. And while he hasn't played that much -- he has just 318 snaps on offense -- he's already shown that he's worth a chance for teams looking for a deep-pass specialist. Unfortunately, if the Chiefs bring back JuJu Smith-Schuster and/or Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, there will be no reason for Thornton to be back.
Despite playing fewer snaps than both of them, Thornton already has more touchdowns than Smith-Schuster (3) and almost as many receiving yards as Brown (372). He's averaging 24.8 yards per reception, and Patrick Mahomes has a passer rating of 124.7 when targeting him.
Brown and Xavier Worthy have struggled to create after the catch or be explosive. Even so, Thornton continues to be in the dog house, playing just 23, 26, and 24 percent of the snaps in the past three games. Of course, he's not going to take snaps away from Rashee Rice, but with everybody else on the team struggling to get going, the fact that he still can't get on the field is a concerning trend for his future with the organization. The team may not want him, but that could be a huge mistake.
Thornton is a speedy wideout who has already shown that he can leave defensive backs in the dust. That ability is highly sought-after around the league, and multiple teams should be interested in signing him in the offseason. He's already done more than enough to earn a featured role in the passing game.
The Chiefs have gone away from the deep ball, and Andy Reid's offense has been rather predictable lately. If the coaching staff doesn't change their personnel or they don't change their approach to the final games of the season, Thornton might definitely be better off somewhere else, even if he's no longer catching passes from the best quarterback in the game.