Who Should I Start? Quintez Cephus or Tyquan Thornton

Sunday, August 24, 8:45 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Quintez Cephus finished the preseason on a high note, catching four of his seven targets for 51 yards and a touchdown against his former team, the Lions. Cephus' six-yard touchdown catch from Graham Mertz put the Texans ahead 16-7 just before halftime, and they went on to win 26-7. The Texans did not play starting quarterback C.J. Stroud or primary backup Davis Mills, but Cephus looked productive playing with rookie Graham Mertz. Cephus was a fifth-round pick of the Lions in 2020 and played three seasons in Detroit. He missed a season due to a suspension for violating the league's gambling policy and has since spent time with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Texans. He doesn't look likely to end up on the Texans' final roster, but he probably showed enough to get a look from another NFL team or at least end up on a practice squad somewhere.

Saturday, November 8, 9:53 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has seen his playing time dip over the past few weeks, playing just 23% of offensive snaps since Week 6. Thornton had been a pretty important piece of Kansas City's offense during the first month of the season, using his electric speed to help stretch the field and create explosive plays. The 25-year-old caught 13 of his 24 targets for 272 yards and three touchdowns while playing 60% of the team's snaps over the first five weeks. His 20.9 yards per reception was the highest in the league over that span out of receivers with at least 10 receptions. Rashee Rice's return and Xavier Worthy getting healthier played a part in Thornton's role diminishing, but he was a useful player and could see more snaps after the team's Week 10 bye.