Thorne, who struggled in his first season with Auburn, posted a career-high rating of 150.8 last year but faced criticism for his overall performance, especially in SEC play. After going undrafted, he signed with the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent.

Payton Thorne has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after a collegiate career at Michigan State and Auburn. He set records at Michigan State before transferring, where he continued to excel as a starter.