Tyquan Thornton (born August 7, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Baylor Bears and was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
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Early life
Thornton attended Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami, Florida.
College career
Thornton originally committed to the University of Florida to play college football before flipping his commitment to Baylor University.
Thornton attended Baylor from 2018 to 2022. During his career he had 143 receptions for 2,242 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Professional career
At the 2022 NFL Combine, Thornton ran an unofficial 4.21 in the 40-yard dash. It would have been an NFL combine record, but it was ruled that he ran a 4.28 instead, which was the third-fastest in the 2022 combine.
New England Patriots
Thornton was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round (50th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.
On September 1, 2022, Thornton was placed on injured reserve after suffering a fractured clavicle in the preseason, and was re-activated on October 8. During Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, Thornton scored his first receiving and rushing touchdowns, making him the first Patriots wide receiver since Deion Branch (2004) to score a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game. Thornton finished his rookie year with 22 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns to go along with three carries for 16 yards and a touchdown.
On August 31, 2023, Thornton was placed on injured reserve. He was re-activated on October 14.
On November 16, 2024, the Patriots waived Thornton.
Kansas City Chiefs
On November 19, 2024, Thornton was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 11, 2025.
In the 2025 season, Thornton made his first start as a Chief in Week 2. The following week, he caught 5 passes for 71 yards, scoring a touchdown and contributing to the Chiefs’ 22–9 victory over the New York Giants. Two weeks later, Thornton achieved a new high in receiving yards, recording three receptions for 90 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 14 games (four starts), he posted 19 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns. On December 24, Thornton was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a concussion.
On March 13, 2026, Thornton re-signed with the Chiefs on a two-year, $11 million contract.
On October 4th, 2026, Thornton suffered a pedal ankle dislocation during a 2-touchdown, 111-yard game against the Las Vegas Raiders.