Early this season, Tyquan Thornton was crucial to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ plans.
But now that the whole receiving corps is healthy and back, not so much.
Thornton appears to be the odd man out in a group that includes Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
That could set Thornton up to be a trade deadline mover ahead of the Nov. 4 date to get deals done in the NFL.
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ESPN’s Ben Solak suggests the Atlanta Falcons as a destination.
“He had a productive September filling in for absent receivers, but he has fallen back down the depth chart,” Solak wrote on Wednesday. “Meanwhile, Atlanta released speedy WR3 and return man Ray-Ray McCloud III. For a team that lives in three-receiver sets, that No. 3 spot needs filling. Thornton has the right skills for the job.”
The Falcons have a great No. 1 WR in Drake London. Behind him is Darnell Mooney, who is talented but injury prone and has also been quiet in recent weeks.
Since the release of McCloud, the inexperienced Casey Washington has been WR3.
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Thornton would seem to be an upgrade there, at least over Washington at this stage in his career.
He has 14 catches for 311 yards and three TDs this season.
Thornton was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2022. New England gave up on him, but Kansas City proved that in the right setup, Thornton can be successful. Atlanta should throw its hat in the ring to be his next stop.
