Kansas City Chiefs v New York Giants – NFL 2025 | Kathryn Riley/GettyImages

The Kansas City Chiefs finally got their first win of the season, but it wasn’t easy. Yes, they did face the lowly New York Giants, but the Chiefs offense once again struggled, especially in the first half. But the second half was a different story.

The Chiefs picked up a 22-9 win over the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night. The win was secured after an incredible passing play from Patrick Mahomes to Tyquan Thornton on a 33-yard reception to set them up on the one-yard line. That allowed Kareem Hunt to score the goal line touchdown to extend their lead to 22-9.

As much as the Chiefs’ wide receiving corps has been criticized, Thornton has shown that he can be a reliable option for them. Perhaps a more reliable option than former receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Tyquan Thornton arrives as the reliable WR option Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes have been missing

Chiefs fans know about Valdes-Scantling well. He was a solid receiver at the start of his career with the Green Bay Packers, to the point where the Chiefs signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract. Upon arriving in Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling struggled with consistency and dropped passes. Ultimately after three seasons, the Chiefs moved on from him.

Thornton has really turned things around this year after his initial tenure with the New England Patriots not working out. He was a second-round pick by the Patriots after a solid tenure at Baylor, but it never translated in New England. Granted, the offensive coordinator situation on the Patriots from 2022 until 2024 were unmitigated disasters, and the offense as a whole struggled in those years.

Thornton recorded 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns on 76 targets. Thorton was waived midway through the 2024 season, but claimed by the Chiefs.

This summer, Thornton made plenty of noise for his catching, route-running, and chemistry with Mahomes during training camp practices. That was welcome news to hear for Chiefs fans, considering the uncertainty at the position. But that was training camp, and fans knew all too well that preseason hype doesn’t amount to a translation to the regular season (i.e. Justyn Ross).

But for Thornton it has. He caught a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. And on Sunday night, Thornton hauled in five-of-nine targets for 79 yards and a touchdown against the Giants.

Given the early returns, we can expect the Chiefs to rely on Thornton much more in the passing game, especially with the team being without Rashee Rice for three more games.