Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers have been actively looking to bolster their wide receiver room for Week 1, as they are dealing with a couple of injuries in the room.
After adding veteran Marques Valdez-Scantling, the 49ers hosted fan-favorite Kendrick Bourne on a visit, but were not able to sign him, as he then took a visit to the Washington Commanders earlier this week.
Well, it seems that the 49ers will have to wait a little longer for a potential reunion, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed that the veteran wideout is sitting out Week 1 as he makes a decision on his next team.
Bourne, 30, caught 28 passes for 305 yards in 2024, while playing in 12 games. He spent the past four seasons with the New England Patriots after starting his career with the 49ers, but was surprisingly released after the 53-man cutdown date.
Currently, the 49ers have Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Valdez-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and likely Russell Gage, assuming he’s re-signed to the practice squad after being released earlier this week. When it comes to Bourne, the biggest question is what his role will be in the long term for the team.
While Bourne would likely be in the mix early for the 49ers, the team does have Demarcus Robinson coming back after a three-game suspension, and Brandon Aiyuk’s projected return is around Week 6. That would leave Bourne on the outside looking in, which may not be as appealing a role as he’d have with the Washington Commanders.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco did report that the 49ers made a formal offer to Bourne prior to him leaving for a visit with the Commanders. Now, we wait and see which option the wide receiver will actually take, but that will only come after Week 1.
