An extreme high turned into an extreme low when Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton crumpled into the grass after attempting to celebrate a 55-yard completion late in the Chiefs’ 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Fortunately (as much as the news around this kind of injury can be), Thornton cleanly dislocated his ankle, by all accounts, and is set for surgery this week. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the dislocated ankle on Sunday evening, then followed up with more information
on Monday.
Rapoport reported that after extensive tests on Monday, Thornton is preparing for surgery this week and has “a real chance at a late-season or playoff return.” He set the timeline at 12 to 16 weeks.
12 weeks from today is December 28, the day after a home game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. Four weeks later would be the NFL’s Divisional Round weekend of postseason games.
While it is not the same injury, the timeline recalls former Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown’s saga during the 2024 season after he suffered a dislocated clavicle in the preseason. He returned in Week 16 and became an impactful player on the way to Super Bowl LIX.
At the time of his injury, Thornton led the team in yards per reception (19.9) and ranked second in yards (219). He is the only wide receiver with multiple touchdowns this season, both coming in Las Vegas. There’s reason to believe Thornton could step back into the lineup and be a very impactful player during the course of a potential playoff run.
