The Kansas City Chiefs have shifted receiver Tyquan Thornton to injured reserve, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, but they haven’t moved to replace him with another wide receiver.
The Thornton move was expected. Thornton was placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to the dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 4, per Alper, and he’ll have surgery on the ankle and is expected to be sidelined for 3-4 months.
The subsequent roster adjustments were slightly surprising, however, with linebacker Cam Jones was signed off of the practice squad in a corresponding move. Jones signed with the Chiefs over the summer, then joined the practice squad after being part of the team’s final cuts.
Jones played 38 regular season and playoff games for the Chiefs back in 2023 and 2024. He played in 10 games for the New York Jets last season and had 43 total tackles.
The receiver who could have been elevated to the roster was Justin Watson, but he’s been added to the practice squad instead. Watson and Jones were teammates during Jones’s time with the team, per Alper, and Watson spent three seasons with the Chiefs before moving on to the Houston Texans last year.
The moves reflect the Chiefs’ ongoing tendency to lean into bringing the band back together, as they’ve signed a number of former players after last year’s disappointing 6-11 season. Both offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are familiar with the respective players who served on their units.
The moves also indicate that the Chiefs are likely in “wait and see” mode when it comes to signing another receiver to replace Thornton. They were rumored to be involved in a possible trade for former Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., but Arizona moved Harrison to the Texans instead.
There are other receivers rumored to be available, including Bryan Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs have a home game coming this Sunday against the struggling Los Angeles Rams, so they may want to wait until we get closer to the Nov. 11 trade deadline before making a definitive move for a receiver.
The Chiefs are currently undefeated at 4-0, and they have road tests against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos coming up after the Chargers game. Their division lead gives the Chiefs the luxury to wait and assess the market going forward, as they currently have a lead of 1.5 games.