Time for New England Patriots to Call Tyquan Thornton a 'Bust'?

With Tyquan Thornton "fueled" by a benching in his hometown, it could be now or never for his New England Patriots career.

Trapped at the bottom of the AFC standings at the de facto midway point of the NFL season, the New England Patriots (2-6) are facing what many see as a meaningless stretch of football. For those on the team, however, the next nine weeks are far from hollow.

Tanking is out of the question for certain players, particularly those potentially fighting for their NFL career. Among that group is Tyquan Thornton, the team's second-round pick from 2022's draft

Medical absences have defined Thornton's career to date, as each of his first two seasons has begun on injured reserve. Health, however, wasn't a factor in his latest departure: Thornton was healthy made listed as inactive in New England's most recent loss, a 31-17 fall to the Miami Dolphins. As if the benching in of itself wasn't bad enough, Thornton was kept out of a return to his hometown.

Though displeased over the setback, Thornton vowed to use the incident as motivation as he works through what could be a fateful stretch that sets the course for the rest of his career.

Tyqyan Thornton has struggled to establish any long-term prescience in the New England lineup / USA TODAY SPORTS

"(I'm) using it as fuel, being inactive in my hometown Miami," Thornton declared, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. "That's something I (didn't) like. But it is what it is, got to keep rolling with the punches so this week's going to be a great one."

When he has taken the field, the Baylor alum Thornton has left much to be desired, grabbing just two receptions for eight yards. The names chosen immediately after Thornton at 50th overall in the 2022 draft aren't egregious, but some (i.e. George Pickens, Alec Pierce, Trey McBride) have established spots in their respective employers' starting lineups. 

As the Patriots prepare to kickoff this dreary march to the end of the year and a curious offseason, Thornton may be dressing by default: the Murphy's Law nature of this woebegone season cut Kendrick Bourne's season short, leaving New England drastically undermanned for Sunday's showdown against the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox). 

Thornton, at the very least, does appear to have the support of the New England coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, for example, indirectly labeled, Thornton one of the most intriguing Foxborough stories as they prepare to play out the stretch.

“Tyquan has really worked hard," O'Brien said, per Dakota Randall of NESN. “I think injuries have been something that in his brief career have held him back a little bit ... because of the fact that you missed time, it’s hard to get back into the lineup right away. There are other guys that have been playing. There’s a depth chart." 

"But, I do believe that he’s worked at it and he’s a guy that has a lot of skills that we look for in a receiver. Let’s see what happens as we head into the second half of the season.”

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