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CFL team places former Auburn QB Payton Thorne on suspended list
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- CFL team places former Auburn QB Payton Thorne on suspended list
Former Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne seems to have put any future football career on pause.
On Thursday, Thorne was placed on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' suspended list after leaving the team. He was in a battle for the team's backup quarterback battle behind starter Zach Collaros. The other quarterbacks battling for the job are Terry Wilson (former Kentucky quarterback), Taylor Elgersma , and Bryce Perkins . Despite leaving the team, the Blue Bombers still hold the CFL rights of Thorne should he want a career north of the border.
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Winnipeg head coach Mike O'Shea had positive things to say about Thorne despite him leaving the team, according to 3 Down Nation. When speaking to the media, O'Shea said, "He's a great kid." Before that, he talked about having a great conversation with Thorne. He also added, "He's really smart, and I'm sure he's got a future in football still."
A big part of Thorne going to the CFL and the Blue Bombers is former Auburn assistant coach Kent Austin. Thorne told 3 Down Nation on their podcast that Austin told him after his senior season that there was some interest from some CFL teams. Austin had a stellar career as a quarterback and coach in the CFL. As a player, he threw for 36,030 yards and 198 touchdowns. He also won two Grey Cups as a player. He won the first one in 1989 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and another with the BC Lions in 1994. He also won a championship as a head coach in 2007 with Saskatchewan. Of course, Austin was an assistant during the Hugh Freeze tenure as Auburn head coach from 2023-25.
While at Auburn, Thorne threw for 4,468 yards and 37 touchdowns, but struggled late in games with interceptions. Over his two seasons at Auburn, he threw a total of 19 interceptions. He arrived at Auburn in 2023 after playing his first three seasons at Michigan State. He went undrafted during the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals . He was released in late August by the team.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Former Auburn QB Payton Thorne leaves Winnipeg Blue Bombers
