Thornton (shoulder) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.
After being designated for return from injured reserve Tuesday, Thornton took part in practice a day later for the first time during the regular season. The Patriots will have 21 days to evaluate Thornton for a return from injured reserve, and though he may have a chance to play this Sunday at Las Vegas, he would likely need to practice fully by Friday in order to do so. As a rookie last season, Thornton caught 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 45 targets and carried three times for 16 yards and one score in 13 games.