The Kansas City Chiefs are just weeks away from the 2025-26 season, and now is crunch time when it comes to getting the rookies up and running. For the Chiefs, they had a solid draft, which means that there are a lot of new players on the Chiefs’ squad who are getting used to being in the NFL for the first time in their football careers.
Several of the Chiefs’ rookies are stepping up at camp, and people are taking notice. The team will play their first preseason game of the year on Saturday, Aug. 9, with a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on the road. Chances are, the Chiefs will play some of their rookies for this game and younger player, in general, since the preseason is kind of a test for newbies.
But, it’s not just the rookies who are getting familiar with their new team. One particular Chiefs player, a veteran, is standing out for starting to build chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and it’s a great thing. Has Mahomes found his new soulmate on the field? Maybe.
Kansas City Chiefs Have a Budding Star to Pair With Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is in line to miss the first part of the season, so the more solid wide receivers the Chiefs have in their stable, the better. Thankfully, they’re stacked.
GettyTravis Kelce #87 talks with Patrick Mahomes #15 during Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University.
Veteran wide receiver Tyquan Thornton spent the 2024-25 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad, and it’s obvious that he wants to step it up. He seems ready, too. Judging by his displays in practice, Thornton is doing what he can to stand out and be one of the players that the Chiefs can rely on with Rice out.
One person who’s taking notice is the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy. He sang the pass catcher’s praises after practice on Tuesday, Aug. 5. It’s normal for reporters to notice a player doing well and comment on it, but having a coach actually do that is one step further and simply means more.
Nagy said of Tyquan Thornton, “You get these opportunities to make plays and he’s done that… I think there’s a lot of trust building right now between him and Pat,” according to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. So, Nagy is openly talking about Mahomes’ chemistry and trust with Thornton, which is a big thing.
Still an ‘Uphill Battle’ for Chiefs Player
Just because Thornton is gelling with Mahomes, it’s not a guarantee that the Chiefs will put him on the field in the regular season. In a piece published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, by Nick Halden of KC Kingdom, Halden points out that it will still be difficult for Thornton to make the cut.
“It is going to continue to be an uphill battle for a roster that has a myriad of options but few that are proven,” he notes. “With this in mind, Thornton’s early run is going to have to continue into the preseason to surpass players with better resumes.” He adds, “Kansas City brought back a handful of veterans as well as fringe roster pieces from a season ago. Even with Rice expecting a suspension, it is going to be far from an easy road to make the final cut.”
But, Thornton is already halfway there. He’s proving that he’s a veteran and can step it up in the face of adversity, so we’ll see if the Chiefs keep him out there with Mahomes when September kicks in.
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