Pats Pulpit
The veteran wide receiver is entering his fourth year in New England
The 2024 season was not what Kendrick Bourne would have wanted.
The New England Patriots wide receiver spent his offseason and summer in rehabilitation mode and did not return to the field until October, almost a year after suffering a torn ACL during a regular season game in Miami the previous year. He did resume a starting role fairly early after his comeback, but was ultimately unhappy with his output.
Despite playing close to 60 percent of offensive snaps over the final 13 weeks of the season, after all, he had a relatively small impact on the offense’s fortunes. Bourne finished the season with 28 receptions for 305 yards and a touchdown — his worst stat-line since his 2017 rookie season in San Francisco.
Nonetheless, Bourne is optimistic about his future for two reasons: his health and ability to participate in training camp again, and the return of offense coordinator Josh McDaniels and his scheme.
As a result, the 29-year-old is finally at peace again.
“I’m just very comfortable in it,” Bourne explained after the Patriots’ second practice of the summer on Thursday.
“I think I know what to expect in a sense. It’s just awesome. I have a lot of peace with it. Everything I went through last year with the ACL, just trying to get back — kind of being sloppy getting out there, not having OTAs, not having training camp. Having those now and then having Josh it just gives me a peace of mind. I’m playing free. I feel good.”
A former rookie free agent with the 49ers, Bourne arrived in Foxborough via a three-year, $15 million contract in 2021. He quickly developed into a go-to weapon for then-rookie quarterback Mac Jones, in large part because of how McDaniels used him at the time.
When McDaniels left after the season to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, however, the problems began. Bourne was quite open about the challenges of adapting to life without the veteran OC, and he was unable to make the famous second-year jump as a result.
He appeared to overcome his struggles in 2022 and with Bill O’Brien succeeding Matt Patricia after one year as offensive coordinator. His season-ending knee injury put an end to what had been a promising start to the season, however, and also negatively impacted his 2023 campaign (one that saw another change at OC, with Alex Van Pelt replacing O’Brien).
Heading into 2025, Bourne is back where his Patriots career started: with McDaniels as his coordinator, and a young quarterback throwing him the football.
“Obviously, I have experience with Josh,” he said. “My first year, the way we were spreading the ball around was really exciting. You know you can be on the bench and have a role coming in. Josh knows how to put it together.”
Through two training camp practices, Bourne has found himself in just the scenario he laid out. Rotating...
