Payton Thorne
Quarterback Stats
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No QB stats found for this player.
Career Summary
Payton Thorne is a quarterback who played at Michigan State and Auburn.
He joined Cincinnati as an undrafted rookie in May 2025 and signed with Winnipeg later that year.
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Early Life
Thorne comes from a football family.
His parents are Jeff and Joanna Thorne. His father and grandfather John coached at North Central College, while his grandfather Dave Martin played at Wisconsin. Thorne earned a Michigan State degree in communication.
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High School
Thorne played at Metea Valley before transferring to Naperville Central.
He passed for 3,113 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior and was named USA TODAY's 2018 Illinois Offensive Player of the Year. He also played basketball and baseball.
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College Career
Thorne started at Michigan State before transferring to Auburn in 2023.
His 2021 Michigan State season produced 3,233 passing yards and a Peach Bowl victory. At Auburn, he passed for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023, then 2,713 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024.
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Path to the NFL
Cincinnati signed Thorne as a college free agent on May 9, 2025.
The Bengals' transaction log identifies him as an Auburn quarterback in their undrafted rookie class.
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NFL Career
Thorne spent the 2025 offseason and training camp with Cincinnati.
The Bengals waived him August 25, 2025. Winnipeg signed him December 23, 2025, and transferred him to its suspended list May 21, 2026.
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Career Accomplishments
Thorne set Michigan State's single-season passing-touchdown record with 27 in 2021.
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition that season. He was a team captain in both 2023 and 2024 at Auburn and tied the Tigers' single-game record with five touchdown passes against Louisiana-Monroe in 2024.
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Playing Style
Thorne contributed as both a passer and runner.
Against Samford in 2023, he passed for 282 yards and rushed for a career-best 123 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn credited him with 425 rushing yards that season.
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Sources for this section
31414, 00-0040378, 2001-06-26, Payton Thorne, Payton, Thorne
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