Catching Up With Tyquan Thornton Midway Through First Patriots Season

FOXBORO, Mass. — Tyquan Thornton is quick, and in more ways than one.

The rookie receiver is the fastest player on the Patriots, if not in the entire NFL. He gathers his belongings and leaves New England’s locker room after practices and games in the blink of an eye. And when Thornton does speak with reporters, his response times typically mirror those of his 40-yard dash attempts.

So, it’s been tough to get a read on how things are going for the Baylor product in his first NFL season. A roughly six-week injury absence, which began in August toward the end of training camp, and a recent lack of scheduled media availabilities haven’t made things any easier.

But we managed to catch up with Thornton two days before he and the Patriots earned a 26-3 home victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The speedy wideout said that he’s acclimating well to life in New England, despite the difficulties of playing in the NFL and for Bill Belichick.

“I feel like I’m getting a bit comfortable where I’m at,” he told NESN.com “It’s just football, you know, going out there and competing at a high level.”

There’s a long, unfortunate history of young receivers struggling with the Patriots, especially when Tom Brady was running the offense. Just ask N’Keal Harry. And Thornton arrived in Foxboro with the added pressure of being a second-round draft pick — and a polarizing one at that.

But Thornton looked like he belonged from the get-go during training camp. The 22-year-old was playing so well that he started seeing more time with the first-team offense, and in doing so reportedly forced one of his veteran teammates to the trade block. Thornton never has looked overwhelmed, even in the face of a long rehab for a fractured clavicle.

“Just coming in each and every day getting better,” Thornton said when asked why he’s looked so comfortable. “Learning the playbook inside and out, you know? I feel like that’s been helping me out.”

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Speaking of his injury, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. A similarly timed injury stopped Harry’s rookie development dead in its tracks. You could argue his Patriots career would’ve gone much differently had he not lost out on so much valuable practice time with Brady, whom we now know had one foot out the door.

It was fair to worry whether Thornton’s lost time with Mac Jones would screw up his rookie campaign. Plus, by the time Thornton returned in early October, Jones was in the middle of his own injury recovery, leaving Thornton to work with fellow rookie Bailey Zappe for his first two regular-season games.

And while Thornton’s production has dipped since Jones returned — just two catches and a drop over two full games — his workload has remained high, indicating Jones and Patriots coaches trust him to do his job on the field. Thornton said he and Jones never stopped working together despite their timelines being out of whack.

“Just continuing to work at it,” Thornton said. “Working (with Jones) at our routes. … I’m getting better each and every day.”

Of course, the work hasn’t been easy.

Many thought Thornton’s light, slender frame would lead to some rough and punishing moments for the young wideout. We asked whether there have been any “Welcome to the NFL” hits or plays that stick with him, but Thornton said his adjustments have been more mental than physical.

“My welcome-to-the-NFL moment probably is the daily grind,” revealed Thornton, who during camp said he wasn’t looking to add much weight. “The daily deposits. Coming in every day and being at your best and competing at a high level.”

It’s been a grind for Thornton off the field, too.

If you follow him on social media, you probably know he’s been playing with a heavy heart. Thornton first began posting about the death of a loved one he called “Chubs” before the Patriots’ Week 6 game against the Browns in Cleveland. He went on to score two touchdowns and after the game, tight end Jonnu Smith praised Thornton for battling through personal struggles.

Thornton didn’t want to go into details when we spoke with him. But receiver Kendrick Bourne did open up on the situation — and how Thornton has handled it — after Sunday’s win over the Colts.

“Yeah, he lost his buddy,” Bourne told NESN.com “To be able to come out here and still play for his buddy … it’s not easy losing someone and to have that mindset. And, you know, use his brothers in here. We support him through anything, we support each other through anything. So, I think that helped him a lot.

“Sometimes people won’t play because, you know, they’re just going through so much. But he was strong enough to be around and toughen up for the situation. And a lot of people probably couldn’t do that.”

Bourne also is confident that Thornton eventually will develop into a dangerous weapon in New England’s offense.

“He’s just playing a good role,” Bourne said. “Hopefully, he can heat up a little bit. Hopefully, all the offense can heat up. He’s just a good-mindset guy. Obviously fast, and his threat to the defense is so key for us. Players have to play us differently because he’s such a threat running by you. It’s just a strength of his.”

Has Thornton thus far delivered on his high draft status? No, and Patriots fans likely are getting antsy while watching other rookie wideouts succeed around the NFL.

But there’ve been many things working against Thornton this season, including injuries, personal turmoil, the rigors of the NFL and the ongoing struggles of the Patriots offense. Through it all, he’s kept his head down and earned a busy role as a rookie receiver in New England — and that’s no small thing.

He and the rest of the Patriots will look for a fast start to the second half of the season when they host the New York Jets in Week 11.