Details Revealed: New England Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Injury
While the New England Patriots offense has had little to celebrate through their first eight games of the season, the improved play of receiver Kendrick Bourne has been one of the few bright spots.
However, in addition to suffering a 31-17 defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday — a loss which drops them to 2-6 on the season — they may be without Bourne’s services for a yet-to-be-known period of time.
Bourne is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to evaluate a knee injury which forced him from the game in the fourth quarter. Per an NFL network report, the initial hope is that the veteran wideout suffered an MCL injury, based on the initial diagnosis.
Bourne suffered the injury on the first play of the fourth quarter while attempting to secure a third-and-9 at the Pats 16-yard-line. After spending some time in the Patriots’ blue pop-up medical, he was quickly taken to the locker room where he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.
New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Bourne has been the Patriots’ top receiver this season, earning 37 catches for 406 yards with four touchdowns. He caught three passes on four targets for 36 yards with a touchdown before departing Sunday’s game. In spite of his productivity, Bourne has been entrenched in trade rumors, given both his value and the fact that he is playing in the final year of the three-year contract which he signed with New England in 2021. Though the current NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement does not preclude injured players from being traded, moving Bourne appears to be off the table given the nature of his injury.
Since joining the Pats, Bourne’s versatility has allowed him to wear multiple hats for the Pats. Though his technical prowess allows him to win from either alignment, he has looked most comfortable in the Z-receiver role, while occasionally assisting in the slot. However, Bourne has also been called upon to line up at the ‘X’ at times, with a respectable level of success. Lastly, Bourne has been known to carry the ball out of the backfield on occasion; both on the jet sweep and on designed runs. As such, he has become a reliable target for quarterback Mac Jones.
"I have a lot of love for KB [Bourne,] Jones told reporters after Sunday’s loss. “He's one of my best friends. I hope he's okay."
Meanwhile, the Patriots will return to Foxboro to prepare for a Week 9 matchup with the Washington Commanders (3-5) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
