Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Las Vegas Raiders
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The Kansas City Chiefs are turning to one of Tom Brady’s former Super Bowl teammates after a breakout season from ex-New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton hit a major roadblock.
Kansas City placed Thornton on injured reserve Monday after the 26-year-old dislocated his ankle in a 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 4.
Head coach Andy Reid also announced that veteran wide receiver Justin Watson had signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad.
The move surfaces an interesting Patriots connection.
Thornton was New England’s second-round pick in 2022, while Watson spent two seasons alongside Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earned his first Super Bowl ring during Tampa Bay’s 2020 championship run.
Thornton finally found the big-play role in Kansas City that never consistently developed in Foxborough. Now the Chiefs are adding a receiver who knows their system — and who has caught passes from Brady and Patrick Mahomes for much of his career.
Thornton’s Breakout Season Put on Hold
Kansas City Chiefs v Las Vegas Raiders
GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: Tyquan Thornton #2 of the Kansas City Chiefs is carted off the field after an injury against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Thornton’s injury came at the end of the best game of his NFL career. He caught five passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Las Vegas, setting career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns before succumbing to an ankle injury on a 55-yard reception.
ESPN reported that Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle. The injured-reserve move guarantees he will miss at least four games, although his absence may stretch past that minimum.
Through four games this season, Thornton has 11 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 19.9 yards per reception. That production continued the resurgence he started in Kansas City last year, when he posted 438 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 23 yards per catch.
It has been a sharp turnaround from Thornton’s three seasons with the Patriots. The Patriots selected him No. 50 overall out of Baylor in 2022, but he finished his New England tenure with 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns in 28 games.
New England released him in November 2024 before Kansas City added him to its practice squad three days later.
Thornton’s progress earned him a two-year, $11 million contract with the Chiefs this offseason, with the deal carrying a maximum value of $14 million.
Chiefs Turn to Brady’s Former Super Bowl Teammate
Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
GettyTAMPA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 20: Ronald Jones #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with Tom Brady #12 and Justin Watson #17 after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Watson brings championship pedigree to Kansas City.
The former fifth-round pick spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons catching passes from Brady in Tampa Bay. Watson was part of the Buccaneers team that beat the Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV, giving Brady his seventh championship and Watson his first ring.
Watson later joined the Chiefs in 2022 and became part of two more Super Bowl-winning teams. Across 50 regular-season games for Kansas City from 2022 through 2024, he caught 64 passes for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns. He added nine receptions for 120 yards across three postseason runs.
Reid pointed to that familiarity when discussing Watson’s return Monday.
“He was a good player for us when he was here,” Reid said, per USA Today’s Chiefs Wire. “He obviously can run fast — and he’s got great size. He’s willing to do everything. He knows the offense.”
Watson starts on the practice squad, so Kansas City hasn’t simply swapped him onto Thornton’s active-roster spot.
Still, the Chiefs lost one of their most dangerous vertical threats and reunited with another receiver they trust.
For Patriots followers, the transaction ties together two New England connections.
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Duncan Day is a sports contributor for Heavy. He has covered NFL, NBA, hockey and soccer for various outlets, including NBC Sports, Boston.com, USA TODAY, Forbes, Bleacher Report, The Dallas Morning News and more. More about Duncan Day
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