Patriots waive WR Tyquan Thornton after 3 seasons

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  • Mike Reiss, ESPN staff writerNovember 16, 2024, 10:14 a.m. ET

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      Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN covering the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots waived wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on Saturday, the team announced.

A 2022 second-round pick out of Baylor with lightning speed, Thornton never emerged as the top threat the Patriots had hoped he would after posting a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine .

With the Patriots having seven receivers on their 53-man roster and Thornton as the seventh option, the team unblocks the position and creates a roster spot.

The Patriots activated defensive tackle Christian Barmore to the 53-man roster on Saturday. Barmore, who was diagnosed with blood clots in late July and returned to practice for the first time Thursday, could return Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, coach Jerod Mayo said earlier this week.

As for the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Thornton, he played in six games this season with one start. He totaled four catches for 47 yards.

Overall, he appeared in 28 games (13 starts) for the Patriots and had 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns.

When the Patriots selected wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk (second round, No. 37) and Javon Baker (fourth round, No. 110) in the 2024 draft, it put Thornton in a position to contend for a roster spot.

After being active in the first five games of the season, he had been inactive in four of the past five. The emergence of second-year receiver Kayshon Boutte was also a factor in pushing Thornton down the depth chart.