Patriots Rumors: New England Waives Disappointing Wideout

The Patriots will move on from a disappointing young wide receiver.

New England waived Tyquan Thornton on Saturday, according to multiple reports. The transaction opens up a roster spot for the possible return of either defensive tackle Christian Barmore or cornerback Alex Austin.

Thornton entered the 2022 NFL Draft with a lot of hype. The Baylor product ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, but that speed never translated to the football field. The 24-year-old caught 39 passes for 385 yards in 28 games during his three-year career in Foxboro, Mass. The wideout impressed in training camp but faced multiple injuries that kept him out of games.

The Patriots reportedly received calls for Thornton before the NFL trade deadline but never pulled the trigger on a potential trade. Thornton is healthy entering the waiver wire, so it’s possible a team puts in a claim on him.

Thornton’s move to the waiver wire takes one less name out of a crowded wide receiver room that was vocal about a lack of opportunities. It also marked another hit to the 2022 draft class. Only running back Kevin Harris, guard Cole Strange and cornerback Marcus Jones remain on the team out of seven players including quarterback Bailey Zappe. It’s part of a massive rebuild the Patriots underwent after Bill Belichick parted ways with the organization.

New England has until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to make additional roster moves.