Former Michigan State starting quarterback Payton Thorne has been waived by the Cincinnati Bengals, the team announced on Monday.
Teams are cutting down their rosters to 53 members ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and Thorne was cut alongside 10 fellow Bengals.
Originally committed to Western Michigan, Thorne later switched to Michigan State and redshirted as a freshman in 2019 before debuting in 2020.
After playing in four games and making one start in 2020, Thorne was handed the reins to the offense in 2021 and led the Spartans to an 11-2 record, a top-10 ranking and a win in the Peach Bowl over Pitt.
He had a career-high 3,232 yards and 27 touchdowns for the season, throwing to future NFL receivers Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor with Kenneth Walker III as his feature running back.
The Spartans regressed the following season to a 5-7 record and Thorne threw for 2,679 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He would decide to transfer out of the program in spring 2023, heading to Auburn to play under coach Hugh Freeze for two seasons.
Thorne’s time as a Tiger was also up-and-down as he finished with a 10-12 record as a starter — getting benched at one point — while throwing for 4,468 yards, 37 touchdowns and 19 interceptions across both seasons.
After going unselected in this year’s NFL Draft, Thorne signed with the Bengals, joining an already deep quarterback room.
Two-time Pro Bowler Joe Burrow has the starting job locked down and it appears the Bengals liked what they saw out of third- and fourth-year signal callers Jake Browning and Desmond Ridder.
Thorne didn’t get to showcase his skills on the field until the Bengals’ preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts in the final quarter, where he was 4-of-7 passing for 41 yards.
The hope for Thorne will be to get a spot on the Bengals or another team’s practice squad for the coming season.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our [User Agreement](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/user-agreement.html) and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/privacy-policy.html)