The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed American quarterback Payton Thorne.
The six-foot-two, 210-pound passer spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Auburn University. He completed 62.0 percent of his passes for 4,468 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, rushed for 798 yards and five scores, and went 10-12 as a starter.
The native of Naperville, Ill. started his collegiate career at Michigan State University in 2019 and spent four years with the program, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 6,493 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He went 16-10 as a starter and rushed for 270 yards and six scores.
Thorne signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He completed four-of-seven passes for 41 yards during the preseason but was released at the conclusion of training camp.
The 24-year-old recorded a 4.70-second forty-yard dash at his pro day along with a 4.25-second shuttle, 7.20-second three-cone drill, 31-inch vertical jump, and nine-foot, nine-inch broad jump.
Thorne is one of five quarterbacks the Blue Bombers currently have under contract for 2026, alongside incumbent starter Zach Collaros, incumbent backups Terry Wilson and Chase Artopoeus, and fellow newcomer Bryce Perkins.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.
