Kansas City is 4-0 and just lost two receivers in the span of about an hour. The front office did not wait around to see how it played out.
Mike Silver of The Athletic reported the Chiefs have already contacted Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for free agent Tyreek Hill, about a reunion. That call happened fast, and it happened for a reason.
What Kansas City Lost in Las Vegas
The Chiefs beat the Raiders 30-27 on Oct. 4 to move to 4-0 and end Las Vegas’s unbeaten start. It cost them.
Tyquan Thornton dislocated his ankle in the fourth quarter at the end of a 55-yard catch from Patrick Mahomes when a defender rolled up on him. He was carted off after the dislocation was reduced on site. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported Thornton will have surgery this week with a three-to-four month recovery.
Read that timeline carefully, because a lot of outlets have called this season-ending and it is not. Three to four months from early October puts a late-season or postseason return in play for a team that expects to be playing in January.
Thornton was having the game of his career when it happened: five catches, 111 yards, two touchdowns, with 219 receiving yards and two scores on the season.
Rashee Rice pulled up with a non-contact hamstring injury in the first half on a routine short route and did not return. Andy Reid called it minor, saying Rice “tweaked his hamstring there,” and Kansas City has a bye to help. No formal timeline has been announced.
Hill Has Not Played in 13 Months
Hill is 32, an eight-time Pro Bowler, and currently unsigned. Miami released him in February 2026, ending a four-year run. He is rehabbing a dislocated knee with multiple ligament tears including an ACL, suffered in September 2025. His 2025 line before the injury: four games, 26 catches, 265 yards, one touchdown.
Rosenhaus has indicated Hill is likely to sign this week, with the 4-0 Chiefs, the 3-1 Giants and the 3-1 Ravens reported as interested.
Should Kansas City Do It?
The current room is Rice, Xavier Worthy, Thornton, Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen and Nikko Remigio, with Jeff Caldwell and Jimmy Holiday on injured reserve. Take out Thornton for three months and a hamstring-limited Rice and that is thin.
My answer is yes, on the right terms. Hill at 32 coming off a multi-ligament knee reconstruction is not the Hill who left. He is also a player Mahomes has already thrown 15,000 reps to, and the Chiefs are not asking him to be the entire offense. They are asking him to be the third option on a 4-0 team.
Reid’s postgame line on Thornton was the honest version: “That doesn’t look good, but he’s going to fly back with us.” Mahomes went simpler. “First off, I’m just praying for him.”
Then the Chiefs picked up the phone, because that is what 4-0 teams do.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.