Former Michigan State football players learned their fate this past week because it was cut week in the NFL. Guys like Kenny Willekes, Mike Panasiuk, and a few other players were unable to make roster cuts, but a few still signed professional deals.
One former Michigan State star who left the program ahead of the 2023 season may be closing in on his first professional roster spot, but it could be in the Canadian Football League.
According to reports, he was added to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' negotiation list, which doesn't mean he's expressed any interest in a contract in the CFL, but the organization is interested in negotiating a deal with him.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers add former Auburn QB Payton Thorne to negotiation listhttps://t.co/1wlaELXvUT#CFL #Bombers #ForTheW #Auburn #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/asbyoSQOus
— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) August 29, 2025
It's tough to say what Thorne plans on doing after being cut from the Cincinnati Bengals' preseason roster this past week, but he impressed the coaching staff over the past couple of months. He was even pushing Desmond Ridder for a roster spot before getting cut this week.
Thorne had an interesting college career, starting at Michigan State as a Mark Dantonio era prospect. He started full-time as a redshirt freshman under Mel Tucker in 2021, and he passed for over 3,200 yards and 27 touchdowns. He took a slight step back in 2022 with 19 touchdowns to 11 picks, and then he found himself in a battle for the starting job before 2023, so he transferred out.
The former Naperville, Ill., product and high school teammate of Jayden Reed (bet you've never heard that before) transferred to Auburn before his junior season and he passed for over 4,400 yards and 37 touchdowns with 19 picks over two seasons with the Tigers.
Thorne went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, but signed with the Bengals as a UDFA. He unfortunately did not make the 53-man roster, but it feels like he'll get another NFL opportunity.
However, the CFL is there if he wants a job now.