Thornton has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks, but will be back versus the Jets on Sunday.
It’s been an eventful week off the field for the New England Patriots wide receiver room. Things will continue to get interesting on the field on Sunday versus the New York Jets, as the group is seemingly set to shake things up.
That will include Tyquan Thornton, who has reportedly recently been available in trade talks, working his way back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two weeks.
“Tyquan has done a good job in practice, and looking forward to seeing him in the game. He will be at the game,” Jerod Mayo said Friday morning. “He’s had a great week of practice, and he’ll be there, and hopefully it translates.”
Thornton opened training camp as the team’s top X-receiver, but managed just two catches for 27 yards through the first five weeks of the season. Falling out of the rotation led to bigger roles for Kendrick Bourne returning from the PUP and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, who is likely set to miss Sunday with a concussion.
The injury to Polk has now thrusted the 2022 second-rounder back into the lineup, where he has impressed wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes.
“He’s done really well,” Hughes said. “Tyquan is a guy who really does have a high football IQ. He understands the spacing on the field. We talk in our room a lot when we run our routes we need to run routes to get people open sometimes.Sometimes we’re the primary target, sometimes we’re the secondary target — whatever it is.
“I think Tyquan understands how our concepts fit together and sometimes he’s the lead in that and sometimes he’s got to do some kind of different assignment to help freeze somebody else up. So he’s a valuable part of the team because he’s a good team player in that regard and he’s had a great week.”
While Thornton’s production was measly — both of his catches coming in Week 1 — he never took the field with quarterback Drake Maye. After Jacoby Brissett struggled to push the ball downfield, the rookie has been one the league’s best deep passers over the last two weeks — perhaps something the speedster can take advantage of.
Elsewhere in the receiver room, Mayo confirmed that veteran K.J. Osborn will again be active this week. That likely leaves Maye’s group as Thornton, Osborn, Bourne, DeMario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte — continuing to leave rookie Javon Baker on the outside looking in.
“Just continue to get better,” Mayo responded when asked what Baker needs to do to see the field. “Not only is he going to be a good receiver, but he’s also one of those guys that just loves football. He has to continue to improve in special teams as well. Look, there will be a time when he’s on the field, and he’ll be a good player for us.”