FOXBORO — Patriots 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton exited training camp as an offensive starter before seeing his snaps reduced to the point that he was a healthy scratch over the last two weeks.

Now, with rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in concussion protocol, it seems the Patriots are giving Thornton another chance this week.

“Tyquan has done a good job in practice. Looking forward to seeing him in a game,” Mayo said Friday. “He will be at the game. He’s had a great week of practice, and he’ll be there, and hopefully it translates.”

Thornton has caught two passes on five targets for 27 yards in five games this season. He hasn’t cracked the century mark in receiving yards since his rookie year, when he caught 22 passes for 247 yards with two touchdowns. He had just 91 receiving yards last season.

Wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes agreed with Mayo’s assessment that Thornton had a strong week in practice. However, it sounds like Thornton might be used to clear out space for other players to get open.

“He’s done really well. He’s been out there working. Tyquan, I think, is a guy that does really have like, a high football IQ, and he understands the spacing on the field and that, we talk in our room a lot, like when we run our routes, we need to run routes to get other people open sometimes,” Hughes said. “Sometimes we’re the primary target, sometimes we’re a secondary target, whatever it is. And I think Tyquan understands how our concepts fit together. Again, sometimes he’s the lead in that and sometimes he’s got to do some kind of different assignment to help free somebody else up. So he’s a valuable part of the team, because he’s good team player in that regard, and he’s having a great week.”

With Polk likely out, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas will likely take on the primary receiving roles in the offense with Thornton and K.J. Osborn serving as depth.