The New England Patriots placed wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on the injured reserve, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the season, according to Jeremy Fowler.

Thornton played well in limited action in the preseason before suffering a shoulder injury. He started last season on the injured reserve due to a shoulder injury as well after he suffered a broken clavicle during the preseason.

The Patriots selected Thornton in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2022. He played in 13 games as a rookie, starting nine of them. He caught 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, scoring another one on the ground.

Thornton was one of six wide receivers to make New England's initial 53-man roster. Led by Juju Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, the Patriots hope to improve their passing offense and scoring, which ranked 20th and 17th respectively last season.

The Patriots have had a hard time developing young wide receivers in recent years for a multitude of reasons. It's unfortunate that the reason Thornton hasn't been able to bloom into a true weapon is because of injury.

Starting each of your first two NFL seasons on injured reserve is something no player wants to go through. Knowing the Patriot Way though, it will only add fuel to the fire for Tyquan Thornton.

The earliest he can return to the field is Week 5 when the Patriots host the New Orleans Saints. New England opens its season at home against the defending NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.