Chiefs Sign Former Patriots Wide Receiver After Sudden Weekend Release

KC is tapping into New England's receiver pipeline.

New England selected Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

On Saturday, the New England Patriots cut ties with 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton. Despite the team needing desperate help at receiver, Thornton never got onto the field for the Pats, and his release, while sudden (few players of note get released on a random Saturday during the season), was not necessarily unexpected. It was clear months ago a fresh start would be best for both sides.

The Kansas City Chiefs saw what went down and decided to try their hand at utilizing Thornton's talent. On Monday, the defending champs inked Thornton to a practice squad deal, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Chiefs have been searching high and low for receiver help this season after losing Rashee Rice for the year, highlighted by the DeAndre Hopkins trade ahead of the deadline. Patrick Mahomes has made it work well enough in the meantime, leading the Chiefs to nine straight wins to start the season before losing to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but it's obvious to anyone with eyes that the offense is not nearly as dangerous as it once was.

Thornton was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft due to his blazing speed, but he has failed to produce in the pros thus far. Due to a combination of injury and healthy scratches, Thornton has appeared in 28 total games over three seasons of play. For his career, Thornton has 39 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps practicing with Mahomes will unlock Thornton's potential. The Chiefs certainly hope so as they search for more ways to improve their 16th-ranked offense.

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