New England Patriots Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton suffered a collarbone injury when playing in the team’s second preseason game against Carolina Panthers. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Thornton has undergone surgery.
It was reported by Fowler on Saturday, that Thornton had his fractured clavicle repaired by medical surgery procedure on Monday.
“#Patriots rookie WR Tyquan Thornton underwent surgery Monday to repair a fractured clavicle, per source,” Fowler tweeted.
“Recovery time should be 6-8 weeks from the procedure but could vary depending on healing and re-acclimation to football. 2nd round pick still set to help offense this year.”
As a result, Thornton is expected to be out for about six or eight weeks.
Thornton’s expected return
According to Patriot Wires, Thornton’s injury is a setback for the Patriots, whose wide receivers lineup is being questioned.
Compared to all wide receiver drafts by coach Bill Belichick, Thornton is one of the first-year players that is capable to contribute significantly to the team’s offense with his ability as a wide receiver.
It was proven by Thornton with a touchdown reception in his NFL preseason debut in the Patriot’s preseason opener against the New York Giants, which led the Patriots to a tight win of 21-23. In that game, Thornton caught two passes with nine yards passing received.
As per Yahoo Sports, Thornton is predicted to return in NFL regular season Week 5, when the Patriots encounter the Detroit Lions.
However, there are probabilities that Thornton will likely miss NFL games, either on Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, or the team’s Week 7 against the Chicago Bears.
Given his condition, the Patriots management might list Thornton on the injured reserved and PUP list to begin NFL regular season, meaning that he will be delisted from the team roster for the first four games at minimum. Also, he will likely be out of the active roster due to his recovery.
Furthermore, without Thornton at the receiver position, quarterback Mac Jones will be limited in his options, which could lead to a difficult start to the regular season, according to multiple sources. With the current WR roster, Belichick has few options, which will likely frustrate Jones on the Patriots’ offensive scheme.
The Patriots’ WR depth chart still includes Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne, but sources say the team will struggle without Thornton’s ability to stretch the field and his offensive threat to the opposing defense.
The Patriots drafted Thornton in the first round for the No. 50 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was performing at the NFL Combine by recording 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
During his three years at Baylor, Thornton recorded 143 passing receptions for 2,242 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, establishing himself as an explosive player with the ability to run past defensive players.
The Patriots could activate Thornton’s status once he finishes his recovery, however, they need to add wide receivers for the NFL regular season.