Late Monday evening, the Kansas City Chiefs reportedly reached an agreement with one of the team’s most interesting pending free agents, considering how impactful he was in such a short, limited role in his only season with the team.
It is Thornton’s first payday after signing with Kansas City on a reserve/future deal last offseason, and the former second-round pick will have another shot at signing a multi-year contract in two years as a 27-year-old in 2028.
Thornton will have his shot at growing within the Chiefs’ offense after excelling in a narrowed role that asked him to primarily run deep routes and make downfield catches. He racked up 438 receiving yards and three touchdowns while playing the fifth-most snaps among the receiving corps. Among all qualified pass catchers in the 2025 regular season, Thornton finished with the highest yards-per-catch rate (23.1).
Heading into 2026, Thornton will join starting receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy as the returning contributors in the position room. The trio will welcome the potential impact of wide receiver Jalen Royals in the former fourth-round pick’s second NFL season.
How do you feel about the Chiefs bringing Thornton back? Should we expect him to catch more than 19 passes in 2026? Let us know in the comments!