The New England Patriots have informed speedy wide receiver Tyquan Thornton that he will be waived on Saturday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The 24-year-old Thornton was selected in the second round (No. 50 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft with designs of him becoming the team’s top deep threat. The Baylor product had wowed Patriots scouts and coaches with a blazing performance at that year’s NFL Combine, setting a would-be record with an unofficial 4.21 40-yard dash time. The official time was later calculated at 4.28 seconds, which is still among the fastest ever.
After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Thornton suffered a fractured clavicle during the 2023 preseason and started the year on IR. When he was activated in October, his role had been significantly reduced and that carried over into this season.
In his two-plus NFL seasons, Thornton has appeared in 28 games, recording 39 receptions for 385 yards and touchdowns. He’s averaged just 9.9 yards per reception.
With seven wide receivers on the 53-man roster, the Patriots had little personnel wiggle room. Thornton, who has been inactive for the past five games, had fallen to the bottom of their depth chart and with needs at other positions, New England decided now was the appropriate time to pull the plug.
The release of Thornton will leave New England with just over $1.3 million in dead cap.
