The Kansas City Chiefs have major questions at wide receiver as the first week of training camp rolls on, but an answer or two may be emerging.
Perhaps the less likely solution to Kansas City’s potential passing woes is developing in the form of rookie wideout Andrew Armstrong.
“Armstrong got a lot of 1s reps today with Rashee Rice still sitting out live periods while in ramp-up mode with his knee,” Jesse Newell of The Athletic reported Thursday, July 30. “Armstrong had a good summer and should be a top name to watch for end of WR room.”
An undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2025, Armstrong stands at six-feet, four-inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. The 25-year-old pass-catcher was a member of the Detroit Lions practice squad briefly in 2025 but has yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL.
He is currently with the Chiefs on a one-year contract valued at $885,000, though none of that money is guaranteed.
Tyquan Thornton Was Chiefs’ Best Downfield Option in Limited Role Last Season
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Another option for Kansas City is to up the field time and targets for Tyquan Thornton, soon to turn 26 years old, who played 416 total snaps last season including 368 on offense.
Thornton tallied 19 catches on 37 targets for 438 yards and three touchdowns. His average depth of target was 27.8 yards, which was the highest figure of any pass-catcher on the Chiefs’ roster by a wide margin.
That said, his catch-to-target ratio barely eclipsed 50 percent, which means that while Thornton’s 23.1 yards per reception rendered him the team’s best explosive-play option in the pass game, the offense wasn’t particularly efficient when QB Patrick Mahomes targeted him.
However, Thornton sent a message on Thursday that he’s ready to step into a bigger role, both on the field and in the locker room.
“Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton says that he’s trying to take over the leadership role in the wide receiver room,” Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reported. “He’s the team’s most veteran receiver in terms of years in the league.”
Addition of Kenneth Walker III Should Open Up Pass Game for Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes
GettyKansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III.
Part of the issue throwing the football down the field to players like Thornton was the type of defenses Kansas City encountered throughout 2025.
Without an explosive running game, or even one that other teams needed to truly fear in any context, the Chiefs saw more two-high safeties and light boxes/heavy defensive back formations than most other offenses. Consequently, Mahomes did not throw deep that often, and thus his numbers doing so were poor, as were the offense’s results when he attempted to do so.
The presence of running back Kenneth Walker III, who Kansas City signed during free agency following his Super Bowl MVP performance in January, should help the Chiefs considerably in this regard. If teams have to respect the run more, Mahomes should get better defensive looks that render downfield tries more plausible and successful.
Beyond that, Thornton’s presence coupled with Walker lining up alongside Mahomes should theoretically open up the short- and middle-areas of the field more effectively, as defenses must respect the run game as well as the potential of the deep ball simultaneously.
That should allow more room for players like Rice and Xavier Worthy, who are at their best receiving the football in space and making plays after the catch.
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