One of the more surprising developments of the Kansas City Chiefs' summer was the emergence of newly acquired wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. He was excellent at OTAs and carried that over to training camp, and he's got a real chance to carve out a role while Rashee Rice is suspended.
Things will obviously change once Rice is back and Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown is fully healthy, to say nothing of rookie wideout Jalen Royals' ailment. Thornton has enough talent and is young enough that he could be an intriguing development player, and these first six games will show us a lot.
In fact, one coach just suggested how Thornton could maintain a role and enhance his job security with the organization.
Chiefs STC Dave Toub on other guys who could play return specialist: "You could see Tyquan, you could see Brashard."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) September 1, 2025
Chiefs Coach Dave Toub Hints at Special Teams Role for WR Tyquan Thornton
Speaking to the media on Monday, special teams coordinator Dave Toub was asked about guys aside from the incumbent Nikko Remigio who could serve as return specialists.
"You could see Tyquan, you could see Brashard (Smith)," Toub said. The Chiefs typically use multiple return men, especially on kickoffs, so there's room for both Thornton and Smith to get looks without taking touches from Remigio. Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman, and even Carson Steele have gotten in the mix the last couple of years, and Thornton has game-changing 4.4 40-yard dash speed that can be utilized.
Thornton hasn't handled kicks at the professional level, but he did have a handful of returns at Baylor. Toub clearly sees something in him that he likes, and this is a chance to maintain the trust of the coaching staff.
The former second-round pick will likely be battling with Remigio and Jason Brownlee for snaps this season. There will be plenty of touches to be had in that first month, though once the entire group gets back and is healthy, those opportunities will be minimal. That means Thornton has to find other ways to make an impact, and special teams is certainly one of them.
It's worth noting how much Toub and the other coaches have praised Remigio, however. Once an undrafted player, Remigio has become one of the team's more dependable specialists and averaged a solid 26.8 yards per kick return in 2024. He's not infallible, though, and Thornton is certainly faster in open field.
It'll be interesting to see how the rotation plays out in Week 1, but it's now a storyline to watch. Don't be surprised to see Thornton back there on the kick return unit with Remigio.