Bourne Again? Patriots Contact WR For Return

Receiver Kendrick Bourne’s prowess and positivity may keep him in a New England Patriots uniform beyond this season, after all.

The New England Patriots continue to act quickly in their attempts to pull themselves from the doldrums of a 4-13 finish to their season. 

While the majority of the Pats post-Bill Belichick era moves to date have been centered around the search for coaching and front office personnel, they are also keeping their eyes fixed on roster upgrades. 

New England, per a Tuesday morning report from the Boston Herald, has been in contact with receiver Kendrick Bourne regarding a potential contract extension. The report also notes that the communication has been of a preliminary nature, and that is deal is not considered imminent. 

New England Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne :: AP Photo/Steven Senne

After a disappointing showing in 2022, Bourne had become reborn within the Patriots offense, often serving as a lone bright spot amid the unit’s collective struggles. Unfortunately, he season was cut short by suffering a torn ACL on the first play of the fourth quarter of the team’s Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins — a game in which he caught three passes on four targets for 36 yards with a touchdown. Bourne has since had surgery to repair the injury and is expected to be ready for the start of NFL training camps. 

Prior to his injury, Bourne was the Patriots’ top receiver, earning 37 catches for 406 yards with four touchdowns in eight games. In spite of his productivity, Bourne had been entrenched in trade rumors, given both his value and the fact that he was playing in the final year of the three-year contract which he signed with New England in 2021. The Patriots were ultimately forced to place the 28-year-old on season-ending injured reserve. 

Since joining the Pats, Bourne’s versatility has allowed him to wear multiple hats within the team’s offense. Throughout his three seasons in New England, the Eastern Washington product has compiled 1,640 yards on 127 catches — 10 of which have gone for touchdowns. While 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 became a reliable target for Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, when healthy. 

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Though he is set to enter unrestricted free agency at the start of the 2024 NFL year, Bourne has routinely dropped hints over the past few months via social media regarding his hope to return to New England. Both his prowess on the field, and enthusiastic, positive demeanor, have helped to make him a fan favorite in Foxboro in short order. 

Notwithstanding Bourne’s potential re-signing, the Patriots will have six receivers under contract to begin 2024: JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and T.J. Luther, who was retained via a futures deal on Jan. 8. 

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