WR · KC
trending
Tyquan Thornton heavily added (#25)
Sleeper trending/add: Tyquan Thornton (8188) count=2898 (Δ2898 vs prior poll)
Tyquan Thornton
WR · KC · 25 yrs · exp 4 · Baylor
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
1,820
Rank
#304
Pos rank
#109
7d trend
—
Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: May 22, 2026 · 1,820
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
general
3 free agents Chiefs could sign to raise the floor of receiving corps
When thinking through the top 5 holes remaining on the Kansas City Chiefs ’ roster last week, Arrowhead Pride analyst Nate Christensen led off the list with the wide receiver position, specifically a wideout who can win on the outside, a “boundary receiver.” It’s a need that highlights the strengths of the team’s current receivers. Rashee Rice has proven to be a worthwhile high-volume weapon at his best from the slot. Xavier Worthy has the game-breaking speed that Kansas City should maximize with catch-and-run, crossing routes out of the slot. Tyquan Thornton is a true boundary receiver, but his strengths as a downfield route runner make him best suited as a fourth complement to the three starters, similar to former Chiefs wideout Justin Watson in 2022-2024. The organization could certainly believe in Thornton’s ascension as a true “starter,” potentially more confident in the coaching staff’s ability to develop his skills to be a bigger factor on other routes, to the sideline and over the middle. The belief in Kansas City’s internal options could also extend to the two most recent draft picks at the position. Last year’s fourth-round pick, Jalen Royals , was a boundary-dominant receiver at Utah State and could showcase that moving forward. This year’s fifth-round pick, Cyrus Allen, is coming off a season playing nearly exclusively in the slot at Cincinnati , so Royals could keep an edge on the newcomer by proving his ability to line up at X-receiver, beat press-man coverage and make plays after the catch on slant routes, out routes and other quick hitters. All that said, if the team values an immediate “starter” that can line up on the boundary and get open against man coverage, there are options in free agency. Before the three free agents who could raise the floor of the Chiefs’ starting rotation in 2026, we’ll eliminate a notable name from consideration: The former offensive weapon for the San Francisco 49ers is still available, and sounds intriguing on the surface, but would be too redundant of the skills Rice brings to the table in Kansas City. The two are unique players in the sense that an offense can’t (or shouldn’t try to) feature both at the same time. Over the last two seasons, playing for the New England Patriots and Houston Texans , Diggs has aligned in the slot on the majority of his snaps, marking the first time since 2016 he was not primarily out wide, according to Pro Football Focus. The transition is likely out of age. If the 32-year-old “lost a step” at all, it would become harder for him to win as the boundary receiver, but he still offers zone-beating savvy and is a strong, reliable receiver in contested situations, whether a jump ball or in stride with a defender draped over him. He will be best in a situation with more snap slots available, and one that values yards-after-catch ability less than the Chiefs. That said, if both sides are interested, he would certainly boost the Chiefs’ pass game instantly. His projected salary is nearly $14 million , per Spotrac. With more than a decade of familiarity as a rival, the all-time Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver proved he still has what a team like Kansas City is looking for in a veteran starter out wide, despite turning 34 years old last month. He was thrown to 122 times while playing all 17 games, catching 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns . He lined up out wide on 59% of pass plays, which bucked the trend of his career as one of the league’s toughest coverage assignments out of the slot. However, it is worth noting that Allen began his career playing predominantly on the boundary. Over his first three years in the NFL, 80% or more of his pass snaps came with him lined up on the outside in each season. He moved to playing primarily in the slot during the prime of his career, but he was less exclusively in the slot than his perception suggests. With his experience as one of the league’s most respected route runners, Allen feels like [... truncated ...]
general
Chiefs News 5/15: NFL betting on Patrick Mahomes’ Week 1 availability
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Gets New Availability Update for Week 1 | Heavy The league has already announced that the Chiefs will host the Denver Broncos in Week 1 on Monday Night Football. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, that wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a high level of confidence that Mahomes will be ready to play (H/T Sleeper Chiefs). “The Chiefs have said he is way ahead of schedule,” Schefter said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’. “You would never bet against Patrick Mahomes, and the NFL certainly hasn’t. The league has scheduled the Chiefs for the opening Monday night game of the year. The league doesn’t do that unless they think that there’s a realistic chance that Patrick Mahomes is going to be back. I think the feeling is you have to see how the knee is progressing during the course of the summer. The feeling right now within the organization is that he is tracking to be ready for that Monday night game against Bo Nix — who is coming off his own surgery of his ankle — and the Denver Broncos in Kansas City.” A lot can happen between now and Week 1, but as Schefter alluded to, the NFL definitely would not have scheduled Kansas City in a primetime slot if it didn’t feel positive about Mahomes being available. The Chiefs acquired Justin Fields in a trade with the New York Jets earlier this offseason to back Mahomes up and start for him if needed. Chiefs’ offseason winners and losers: Which players received votes of confidence? | The Athletic Winner: Rashee Rice I’m one of those who believed the Chiefs would look to address receiver during the early rounds of the NFL Draft. It seemed to make sense given the team’s uncertain future there, with Rashee Rice in the final year of his rookie contract and the team lacking depth behind its top three of Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton . And who knows? Perhaps if the draft had fallen a different way, the Chiefs would’ve taken a wideout with one of their three Day 2 picks. As it stands, though, general manager Brett Veach appears to be putting his faith in Rice for 2026 while believing the receiver will avoid the off-field drama that marred his first three seasons. Rice’s future is tough to predict. Because of injuries and suspension, he has played just 12 games in the last two years, though he’s maintained strong production when he has been out there. Case in point: Rice averaged 2.16 yards per route run last season, according to TruMedia, which was 12th among 41 receivers with at least 50 receptions. He remains a perfect fit for the Chiefs offense thanks to his run-after-catch ability, with the team often using him on short throws while looking to maximize his physicality and strength. Rice isn’t a complete receiver, but he has proved he can carry a heavy load. The Chiefs appear to be banking on him to do that again, while also giving him one more opportunity to show he can go a full calendar year without creating negative offseason headlines. It’s up to Rice from here. That the Chiefs didn’t draft over the top of him leaves open the possibility that they could be interested in an extension past 2026. His production — and behavior — will determine whether that comes to fruition, but the Chiefs have at least left open the path toward a longer future in K.C. Most/least vulnerable NFL division champs | NFL.com 4. Denver Broncos AFC West Denver filled its biggest hole with the trade for Jaylen Waddle , giving Bo Nix a No. 1 target to pair with Courtland Sutton . The Broncos have one of the best starting 22s in the NFL if Nix stays healthy. The defense is menacing, as it can get after the quarterback, and the secondary is sticky. However, there are depth questions, and a few injuries to key players could create havoc. Squads led by defenses tend to regress to the mean year over year. The Broncos won a whopping 11 games by one score in 2025, with several coming against opponents they should’ve walloped. With a tougher schedule, it’ll be harder to replicate that [... truncated ...]
general
Patriots enter NFL schedule release day with 4 of 17 games revealed
The New England Patriots already know their 2026 schedule, but the general public will have to wait until Thursday night to get official word of it. However, the first few games have either already started leaking or been officially announced by the club. In total, according to the Pats Pulpit schedule release tracker , the Patriots are entering Thursday with four of 17 games revealed: Week 1: at Seahawks (Wed, Sept. 9, 8:20 p.m. ET) Week 7: at Bears (Thu, Oct. 22, 8:15 p.m. ET) Week 10: at Lions (Sun, Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m. ET, Munich) Week 16: at Jets (Sun, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. ET) Out of those four games, only one has officially been announced, namely the Patriots’ return to the international stage after a one-year hiatus; they will play the Lions in Germany in mid-November. This game might also give us a clue about the team’s bye, which might come in Week 11 right after the cross-Atlantic trip. Two of the Patriots’ primetime games have also leaked. They will open the season with a Super Bowl rematch in Seattle — one that will be played on Wednesday rather than the traditional Thursday this year — and take on the Bears on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. New England will have mini-byes after both contests. Furthermore, the Patriots will visit the Jets in Week 16 for a 1 p.m. ET game. The rest of the games remain TBA at this point in time. The official schedule release will happen at 8 p.m. ET, even though traditionally most if not all of the schedule is already known at that point
WR · KC
transaction
FA: Tyquan Thornton dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+1 story · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Tyquan Thornton
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