Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton got up to celebrate what might have been the catch of the game in the Chiefs' 30-27 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. But after the 55-yard reception, he immediately had to go back down as he noticed a gruesome left ankle injury. Thornton finished the day leading the Chiefs with five receptions for 111 yards and his first career two-touchdown game. Late in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs trailed the Raiders 19-17 and faced a critical third down on their own 40-yard line. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes launched a deep ball for Thornton. The receiver ran under it, reeled it in and tried to get to the end zone. Raiders safety Treydan Stukes was in coverage and tackled Thornton from behind at the Raiders' 5-yard line to prevent the score. Box score | Week 4 live blog | Game discussion Thornton didn't appear to realize the severity of his injury right away. He pointed his arm up in celebration and used his right foot to get to his feet. When he tried to follow up by planting his left foot, he noticed the direction his foot was pointing and went back down before the medical staff was able to come and assist him. The Chiefs immediately ruled Thornton out with an ankle injury. Among a group that features future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, star wide receiver Rashee Rice and first-round pick Xavier Worthy, Thornton has found his role among Mahomes' targets. Thornton leads all Chiefs players in targets at least 20 yards downfield. He led the Chiefs in the same category last season, too, with 23 such targets. Worthy was second on the team in 2025 with 16 targets. Thornton's injury comes on a tough injury day for Chiefs pass-catchers. Rice exited the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. Receiver depth was one of the team's biggest concerns heading into the season, and it now likely pushes back to the top of the wish list with the trade deadline looming. The Chiefs have long been rumored to reunite with past star Tyreek Hill this offseason, and Sunday's events could add urgency to figuring something out once Hill is cleared to return from rehabbing his own knee injury. For the short term, if Rice remains out, expect the Chiefs to lean more on second-year player Jalen Royals, who possesses a similar yards-after-catch skill set to Rice. Fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen - a man-coverage-beating specialist - should also see his offensive snaps increase with Thornton out. - Jesse Newell contributed to this report.