Is Tyquan Thornton nearing Patriots return? Here's a positive update

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The New England Patriots need all the help they can get on offense, and they could add a speedy wide receiver in the near future.

Tyquan Thornton is "close" to returning from a collarbone injury he suffered in the preseason, Scott Zolak suggested Tuesday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak and Bertrand."

Thornton is officially eligible to return from short-term injured reserve this week after missing New England's first four games. He underwent surgery on his fractured clavicle in late August with a reported recovery time of six-to-eight weeks, and this week marks the sixth since that surgery. So, it wouldn't be surprising to see Thornton return to practice this week.

The Patriots have up to three weeks to add Thornton to the active roster after he begins practicing, though, so they could also take it slow with Thornton if they don't believe he's ready for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

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According to Patriots assistant wide receivers coach Ross Douglas, Thornton has been doing all the right things to ensure he can hit the ground running when he's healthy.

"He’s been locked in," Douglas told reporters Tuesday of Thornton. "He’s been dedicated to his rehab process. So even though he hasn’t been able to do a lot of things physically, he’s been on top of the mental part of the game. He’s meeting with us early in the morning and staying on top of his assignments and watching tape from wide receivers around the league, just how he can improve his game moving forward."

New England has gotten sporadic production from its wide receivers this season: Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker both broke out for 100-yard games but struggled in other contests, while Jakobi Meyers has missed the last two games due to an ankle injury and Kendrick Bourne has been used sparingly.

Thornton could help the Patriots stretch the field with his blazing speed, and it will be interesting to see how play-caller Matt Patricia employs him when he returns to action.

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