Tyquan Thornton has a promising timetable to return from his shoulder injury
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) during the first half against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The latest Tyquan Thornton injury update gives a little clarity on his long-term status.
In the short-term, Thornton is officially on injured reserve to begin the 2023 regular season, meaning he must miss at least four games. But it sounds like Thornton has a chance at a quick return.
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Thornton is “not anticipated being out for long” as he deals with a shoulder injury. It certainly isn’t shocking that Thornton’s season won’t be over, as evidenced by the Patriots naming him to the initial 53-man roster. He is now eligible to return from IR during the season.
Thornton originally suffered his shoulder injury while diving for a catch during joint practices with the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 17. So, Week 5 will mark more than six weeks since Thornton got banged up.
His slender build (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) was a concerning factor in his pre-draft evaluation, and it’s come to fruition, as he will miss at least four games to start each of his first two seasons. But frankly, the bigger worry for Thornton is his performance in training camp leading up to the injury.
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At least one rookie wide receiver, Demario Douglas, appeared to blow by Thornton in the wide receiver pecking order, as he impressed in camp from start to finish. The other rookie, Kayshon Boutte, stacked days and built momentum as camp went on, and presents a direct comparison to Thornton as more of a perimeter threat.
The Patriots also signed two receivers to their practice squad to begin the season: Thyrick Pitts, who spent most of training camp in Foxboro, and former first-round pick Jalen Reagor, who was previously with the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.
Read more about the New England Patriots wide receiver group, and the rest of the initial 53-man roster, below from our own Alex Barth.
7 thoughts on the New England Patriots initial 53-man roster
One of the NFL’s most significant deadlines has come and gone. NFL teams had until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trim their rosters from the 90-player offseason limit to 53 players for the start of the 2023 regular season.
That left each team – Patriots included – with what is referred to as the ‘initial’ 53-man roster. Keep in mind, very few teams end up playing any actual games with their ‘initial’ 53-man roster. The roster will keep evolving in the week and a half between now and Week 1 with things like IR placements, waiver claims, and practice squad signings.
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Further complicating the nature of the ‘initial’ 53-man roster are the NFL’s new practice squad elevation rules. Teams often don’t carry positional minimums out of the gate to open up other roster spots elsewhere, knowing they can fill those spots later without bringing in a player off the street. In that sense, ‘initial’ rosters may take two to three weeks to fully shake out in reality.
That all being said, it’s not like there’s nothing that can be taken away from the initial rosters. Even if players are cut and brought back, it shows the team wasn’t afraid of possibly using them. Likewise, players not being exposed can be a sign the team is higher on them than others. Plus, it’s possible to project ahead to what kind of work needs to be done between the initial cuts and taking the field on Week 1.
So, what can we learn from the Patriots’ initial cutdown from 90 to 53 players? Here are seven takeaways, starting with a big-picture concept that served as the umbrella take of the day.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.