What Tyquan Thornton Prioritized During ‘Frustrating’ Patriots IR Stint

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Unfortunately, Tyquan Thornton's been through this before.

As a rookie last season, Thornton missed the first four games due to a shoulder injury suffered midway through a promising first training camp. This season, the Patriots receiver missed the first five games after injuring his shoulder while making his best play of the summer.

Thornton returned for last Sunday's road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The 2022 second-round pick caught just one ball for six yards, but his game-changing speed was evident on film.

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While speaking with reporters Tuesday, Thornton opened up on getting hurt at a pivotal time in camp for the second year in a row.

"Definitely was frustrating," the ultra-lean wideout said. "But that's just a time for me to look at myself in the mirror, see the things that I need to get better at. Just control what I can control, just getting stronger, getting better at the things that I can do. Not physically on the field, but just lifting weights."

Thornton also said his experience in 2022 helped him prepare for this year's nearly identical stint on injured reserve.

"Definitely knew what I had to do," he said. "Knew what had to be done. More mental than anything. Staying locked in, staying in my playbook, staying in great shape. Now I'm back up and rolling."

There's no denying that Thornton's been a major bust since arriving in New England. In 14 NFL games, he caught 23 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

But it also is true that injuries have derailed progress for a player who occasionally looks excellent in practice. And the timing of the injuries hasn't helped, with the Patriots going 1-3 without him in 2022 and 1-4 without him this season.

In both instances, Thornton's speed could've provided a spark to a slow, rudimentary Patriots offense. Mac Jones needed someone who could take the top off the defense.

Thornton's arrival probably is too late for a Patriots team that's staring at a lost season. But he still hopes he can help fuel a turnaround.

"Definitely feel like my speed will help," Thornton said. "It's just not about me. It's about the whole offense and about the team. So that's what we're doing."