Patrick Mahomes Says Tyquan Thornton is 'Exceeding My Expectations' After Chiefs Win

Patrick Mahomes has been impressed with Tyquan Thornton through the wide receiver's first three games with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thornton, who signed with the Chiefs practice squad after his release by the New England Patriots last fall before earning a roster spot during training camp, recorded a career-high 71 receiving yards during Sunday's win over the New York Giants.

Mahomes said Monday he connected with Thornton while working with the practice squad late last season, then again in April when hosting pass-catchers at his home in Texas.

"He'd come in and run some of those deeper routes, and I would throw to him a couple times last year, just to see what he had. And you could see that he had juice," Mahomes said about Thornton (h/t KSHB 41).

"Getting into OTAs, and then into training camp, he was one of those guys that was down there with me working in Texas. So I knew he was going to be a good football player, but he's even exceeding my expectations. He's stepping up whenever the opportunity has been provided for him."

Thornton's best series of the season so far came on a Chiefs touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win, starting with the 21-yard pass he caught on a third-and-6 at the Kansas City 27-yard line.

After a 34-yard pass to Thornton in the end zone was ruled incomplete later on the drive, the wide receiver responded by hauling in Mahomes' next try at the one-yard line.

That pass had a 15.7 percent completion probability, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Thornton's ability to take on a larger workload has been key to bolstering the Chiefs' wide receiver depth, which has been thinned by losing Rashee Rice to a suspension while Jalen Royals and Xavier Worthy miss games due to injury.

Thornton received nine targets and was on the field for more than 76 percent of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in Week 3, per Pro Football Reference.

With Rice still serving his suspension and Worthy's status uncertain going in to Week 4, Thornton could see similarly high usage when the Chiefs take on the visiting Baltimore Ravens this Sunday.