It only took 2 games for Tyquan Thornton to shake the bust label

Sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery. While it's still early, that certainly appears to be the case with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. The Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on him this year and that decision is already paying off.

Thornton was a standout at Baylor, especially during his senior season in 2021, finding the end zone 10 times that year for the Bears. The New England Patriots drafted him in the second round hoping that he could be a red zone target for Mac Jones but that never panned out the way they had hoped.

The Thornton experiment was abandoned after three underwhelming years and the Chiefs brought him in hoping that he could serve as a depth piece for them. The plan wasn't really for Thornton to be a big piece in the offense but with Rashee Rice serving a suspension and Jalen Royals and Xavier Worthy out with injuries, Thornton has been tasked with not just stepping up for the team but starting on offense.

In Week 1 against the Chargers, Thornton was targeted four times and caught two of those passes for 41 yards. He stepped it up even more in Week 2 against the Eagles, with five passes sent his way and him hauling in two of those for 59 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown catch looked like vintage Patrick Mahomes who hurled a bomb down the field in Thornton's direction that had Chiefs fans wondering if it was 2018.

Tyquan Thornton has been a great addition for the Chiefs

While the hope is that Royals and Worthy can return to the offense in the next few weeks, Thornton has been doing everything that's been asked of him. He'll eventually be relegated to a limited role in the offense but it's good to know that if he's called upon, he can rise to the occasion and help this team put points on the board.

This really is a good lesson that just because a player doesn't work out with one team, it doesn't mean they can't figure things out with another team. Thornton didn't have a great situation in New England but he's already making the most of his opportunities in Kansas City and while that might not lead to him sticking with the Chiefs long-term, it could make him an attractive wide receiver option for another team down the road.