Patriots Get Big-Time News on Injured Playmaker

The New England Patriots have gotten major news on an injured playmaker.

Oct 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) catches a pass in warmups before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots may be in the process of getting some reinforcements for their struggling offense.

Christopher Price of The Boston Globe has reported that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has returned to practice ahead of the Patriots' Week 5 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Whether or not Bourne will take the field against the Dolphins remains to be seen.

Bourne last played in Week 8 of last season when he tore his ACL versus Miami. He was on his way to enjoying a productive year, as he had logged 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns before going down with the injury.

The 29-year-old began the 2024 campaign on the PUP list.

New England signed Bourne in 2021. He went on to have a solid year during his debut season in Foxborough, hauling in 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns.

That has been Bourne's best campaign to date.

Bourne, who played his collegiate football at Eastern Washington, went undrafted but eventually landed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. He had a very limited role during his rookie season, finishing with 16 grabs for 257 yards.

The following season, Bourne's role grew considerably, as he caught 42 passes for 487 yards and four scores. He then snared 30 balls for 358 yards while reaching the end zone five times in 2019 before posting a breakout year of sorts in 2020, registering 49 catches for 667 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Bourne is certainly not a No. 1 receiver by any stretch of the imagination, but he should still provide a lift to a Pats offense that is starving for any sort of production. For reference, DeMario Douglas is the team's leading wide receiver with 12 catches for 94 yards.

The Patriots have lost three straight games to fall to 1-3 on the season.

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