Thornton (shoulder) is slated to participate in Tuesday's unofficial practice, Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal reports.
It's unclear if the Patriots will officially designate Thornton to return from injured reserve Tuesday, but he's making his first visible progress through the shoulder injury that has sidelined him since Aug. 17. Assuming that transaction takes place, he'll have a 21-day window from that point in which to prove his health and get back on the active roster.