There should be a keen eye on the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense moving forward after the ankle dislocation suffered by wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, sidelining him for a 12-to-16-week timeline, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Among the Chiefs wideouts, Thornton led in receiving yards (219), touchdowns (2) and first downs (10). He established himself as the team’s big-play receiver until he crumpled to the ground after a clutch catch-and-run in the fourth quarter of the Week 4 win over the Las
Vegas Raiders.
So, courtesy of NFL Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus premium stats, let’s take an in-depth look at how the Chiefs’ receiver rotation could adjust based on what has happened so far:
The three starting receivers
The trio of players who have run the vast majority of the routes available to wide receivers
1. Xavier Worthy (119 routes)
2. Tyquan Thornton (90)
3. Rashee Rice (83)
Rice leads all Chiefs players, including tight ends, in slot snaps (47), lining up there for 46% of his pass-play snaps. He has caught five passes for 68 yards from the slot. Rice’s average depth of target is seven yards, speaking to his role as a catch-and-run playmaker.
Rice may be the volume player, but Kansas City will miss Thornton’s playmaking when he’s aligned in the slot (28 snaps). Despite aligning there on only 27% of his pass plays, he produced 154 yards and a touchdown on six catches from the slot. The average pass thrown Thornton’s way was 18 yards downfield.
Meanwhile, Worthy has produced just 18 yards (and a fourth-and-goal touchdown) aligned as a slot receiver despite catching six passes from there. He’s primarily used as an outside receiver, leading the team in wideout snaps (93) and spending 69% of his pass plays on the perimeter. He has a standard average depth of target of 9.7 yards.
With Thornton out for an extended period and Rice recovering from a hamstring injury, the Chiefs will clearly look for slot receivers to make an impact. To spell Rice, they need someone who can gain yards after the catch on quick throws; to replace Thornton, they need big-play ability.
The next men up
The backup receivers ready to rotate in
4. Jalen Royals (29)
5. Cyrus Allen (5)
So far this season, Royals has aligned in the slot 10 times and on the outside 20 times for pass plays. None of his production — three catches for 17 yards and a score — has come when he ran a route from the slot. Since his time at Utah State, Royals has primarily aligned on the outside, but he fits Rice’s play style: he’s hard to tackle once he gets upfield after the catch.
This season, the average throw to Royals is 7.2 yards downfield, nearly matching Rice’s mark. If Rice misses time, Royals feels like a direct substitute.
Allen, on the other hand, could step into the big-play role that will be missing without Thornton. Last season at the University of Cincinnati, Allen caught 51 passes for 674 yards and an FBS-leading 13 touchdowns. Six of those scores came on throws of 20 or more yards downfield; 23% of Allen’s targets in 2025 were deep throws.
During the preseason and training camp, Allen appeared to be developing chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on difficult throws, whether against tight coverage over the middle or on the sideline. Allen may not have Thornton’s linear speed, but his route running and ball skills could make up for it when the ball’s in the air.
The reserves
Potential practice-squad elevations
6. Justin Watson
7. Andrew Armstrong
If one of these players gets called up, it’s a sign the Chiefs feel they need more size than Worthy, Royals, and Allen provide. Both are 6 feet 2 inches or taller and have plenty of high-effort blocking reps.
If Watson is called up, it likely means Kansas City feels it is missing a downfield route runner.
The bottom line
The Chiefs likely don’t need to change much about the offense regarding Rice, who could return as soon as this week from a hamstring injury; if he misses time, Royals will likely see more playing time in a similar role.
The key adjustment will be in response to Thornton’s injury, and Allen — based on his college production and preseason playmaking with Mahomes — could be the secret sauce to filling Thornton’s shoes.
