Patriots WR coach Ross Douglas believes rookie WR won’t miss a beat

Many New England Patriots fans were heartbroken in the preseason finding out the Pats won’t have rookie WR Tyquan Thornton until midseason. Sadly, Thornton suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. In that game, he recorded three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown, according to ESPN.

It was no secret Thornton was having an amazing camp and was the most exciting rookie the Patriots drafted in 2022. Recently, Patriots WR coach Ross Douglas went on record publicly embracing Thornton’s contributions and having expectations of big things when he returns. The Pats’ offense has run stale over the past two weeks.

While finding a way to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with a big play down the sideline to Nelson Agahlor, the majority of the game the offense severely struggled. However, Douglas believes Thornton loves football too much and his work ethic won’t allow him to be anything short of great.

"“One thing about Tyquan: he really, really loves football,” Douglas said during assistant coach media availabilities on Tuesday. “That’s the number one thing. When you’re just around him, you feel the energy. He loves football and he wants to be really good.“He’s doing a great job with our strength staff and our recovery staff. Ever since he’s been here, he’s been bought in. He did a good job picking up the playbook, being able to play a lot of different spots, and learning from the vets that we have in our room. I expect nothing less for when he comes back. He’s injured, but it’s not like he can’t get better during this time while he’s off. He has to control what he can control…he’ll be alright.”"

Thornton’s Expectations for the Patriots

The biggest concern for the Baylor product was more so his size rather than his capabilities. One can agree, it may seem unrealistic that during these few weeks he bulks up to a significant figure, however, this doesn’t mean he can’t be the answer to New England’s offensive problems. His speed can allow the Patriots’ offense to open up other combo routes for other players in the passing game.

Naturally, with the latest injury, many believe his time on the field will be limited to not further injure the same shoulder. There’s a possibility that the Pats may even sit him down for good to assure his health for the following season.