Former Auburn Tigers QB Payton Thorne Signs with Bengals as UDFA
CINCINATTI, Oh.– Another former member of the Auburn Tigers has signed with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent.
Quarterback Payton Thorne, who started the last two seasons for Auburn after transferring from Michigan State, will go from being a Tiger to a Bengal after signing a deal with Cincinatti. Details of Thorne’s deal with the Bengals were not immediately made public at the time of his signing.
He will likely be competing for the backup or even a third-string/practice squad quarterback slot. Currently, the Bengals have star Joe Burrow with Jake Browning and Logan Woodside backing him up as their quarterbacks on their roster. Burrow will be the unquestioned starter for years to come, and Browning has been the backup for a couple of years now, evening winning a couple of vital games when Burrow went down injured.
The most realistic opportunity for Thorne is to beat out Woodside, who is only on a one-year, $1.17 million deal.
Thorne could be more appealing as a third option and as a practice squad quarterback who they wouldn’t be paying nearly as much as an undrafted free agent. If the Bengals intend to keep three quarterbacks, Thorne might be in the prime position to at least stay around the Bengals for a while.
During his career with Auburn, Thorne threw for 1,755 yards in his first season with the team while going 162-for-265 and throwing for 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In 2024, he was much more impressive, improving in every category. He went 199-for-317 for the season, throwing for 2,713 yards, 21 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.
The one knock that he does have is ultimately something that could get corrected by going to the NFL is avoiding sacks. He was sacked 26 times in 2024, making him one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the SEC a year ago. However, as he moves up to play with better offensive lineman, he might not have that issue.
That will be something to pay attention to as the Bengals have been trying to get better lineman for Burrow and could prove beneficial for Thorne as he looks to carve a career in the NFL.
