This one doesn't have a back pad.
New England has waived 24-year-old Tiquan Thornton, the 50th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, ESPN reported.
The wide receiver from Baylor ran an impressive 4.28 40-yard time at the 2022 combine before the Patriots drafted him in the second round.
But in a rotation of subpar quarterbacks and a wildly inconsistent offense, the Miami native has used his combination of speed and ball skills to become the wideout threat executives once envisioned him to be. It was never possible to surface.
Thornton has appeared in 28 games for the Patriots over the past three seasons, playing the most snaps in his rookie year in 2022.
With Mac Jones under center for most of that season, Thornton had 45 targets and had 22 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
These would be the only two points of his career in New England.
In his second year in 2023, Thornton converted on 13 of 23 looks and averaged a career-low 7 yards per reception.
As of 2024, he has only seen eight targets for 47 total yards.
The wide receiver was active for the first five weeks of the season, but was inactive for four of the previous five weeks.
And considering the plethora of talent the Patriots drafted at the wideout position in the 2024 draft, in addition to Jalin Polk (second round, 37th overall) and Javon Baker (fourth round, 110th overall), There is also the rise of Kaytion Boot. Year 2 — The Patriots clearly didn't believe Thornton had a role going forward.
He had been demoted to the seventh spot on the depth chart until New England cut its losses and released him on Saturday.
His roster spot will likely go to defensive tackle Christian Barmore or cornerback Alex Austin.
