Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs have potentially been handed an injury lifeline as the latest news suggests they may have avoided disaster after fearing the worst for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
The 26-year-old went down with a nasty-looking injury after picking up a 55-yard gain in their Sunday evening match-up against the Las Vegas Raiders, an injury that occurred with just three-and-a-half minutes left on the clock.
Thornton was demonstrating his new-found importance to the franchise throughout the game, recording two receiving touchdowns with five catches on eight targets, totalling 111 receiving yards, the most from anybody in the game.
The performance was Thornton’s best of the season so far, with the two touchdowns being his first two of the season and improving on his 86 receiving yards that he recorded against the Indianapolis Colts in the Chiefs' 33-30 win just a couple of weeks ago.
Impressively, the 111 receiving yards recorded by Thornton was a season-high by any Chiefs player so far, topping the 101 recorded by Travis Kelce against the Colts, demonstrating the receiver's importance to the franchise after they were hit by injuries.
Tyquan Thornton Injury vs Las Vegas Raiders
Initial fears suggested that Thornton may have broken his ankle after he was spotted falling down due to his foot facing the complete wrong direction.
Teammates were seen asking Thorton if he was okay after falling down following the big play. The receiver simply pointed down towards his left ankle, which left one of his teammates in shock.
Tyquan Thornton
Tyquan Thornton
With the Chiefs down 17-19 but in the red zone thanks to his major play, Thronton was carted off the field in what was a concerning sight for Kansas City fans, who already had to see Rashee Rice leave the game after a non-contact injury in the first quarter.
Many feared the worst; broken ankles, torn ligaments, out for the season. But now, the franchise has been handed an injury lifeline as things do not seem as bad as first thought.
Tyquan Thornton Medical Update Provided
According to ESPN and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs' wide receiver has suffered a dislocated ankle that was put back into place by doctors after the win over the Raiders. The 26-year-old also made the plane to return home with the team.
Rapoport did add that Thornton will be out for an indefinite period and will be forced to undergo further evaluations later today. However, he is in good spirits after things seem to be not as serious as many may have feared.
Fans immediately shared their reaction to the news. One fan said: "I'm happy it appears he somehow avoided breaking the ankle, but I have to imagine there is ligament damage from that much extreme dislocation."
"This is really good news, and I'm so glad he's in good spirits," another fan shared in reaction to the news.
Matt Derrick, a Kansas City Chiefs writer, shared his knowledge of the injury, stating: "Doctors being able to reduce the dislocation without surgery is encouraging. There also wasn't a compound fracture, but more tests will determine the extent of the injury.
"Can confirm that Thornton is travelling home with the team, and he's in good spirits."
Brian Sutterer, a sports medicine doctor who shares his knowledge on social media, also shared his input on the injury that Thornton suffered. He said: "While extremely rare, it is possible to purely dislocate and not fracture the bones. So there's a *very* slim chance nothing broke."
The full extent of the injury will be confirmed later today after further evaluation has been undertaken. However, despite things being better than initially feared, Ian Rapoport reports that it is still a 'long road back' for the Chiefs' wide receiver.