It’s an eventful Saturday for the New England Patriots. The team has activated defensive tackle Christian Barmore from the non-football illness list, indicating that the star player will be available to play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday despite not practicing on Friday.
Barmore, who signed a four-year, $92 million extension back in April, was diagnosed in July with blood clots, which forced him to miss the first half of this season. Now, he's fully healthy and will be able to make his season debut.
Corresponding move
To make room on the 53-man roster, the Patriots made a move that is somewhat expected, but it doesn't mean it's not frustrating for the fans. The team waived wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, a 2022 second-round pick.
The decision is not shocking because he had been relegated to a smaller role this season. The Patriots have Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Ja'Lynn Polk, Kendrick Bourne, KJ Osborn, and Javon Baker at the position on the active roster, John Jiles and Braylon Sanders on the practice squad.
When the Patriots took Thorton so high in the draft two years ago, there was an expectation that the receiver could be a speedster and a deep-threat. However, that expectation never materialized in New England. Through two and a half seasons with the Patriots, Thorton had only 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns — both as a rookie, in 2022.
The Patriots will have $1.4 million in dead Money in 2024 and $577k in 2025. The move opens up $523k in cap space this year and $1.666 million next season. Thornton now goes through the waivers system, and if no other team claims him, the Patriots would have the option to bring him back to the practice squad.
