Kendrick Bourne has been a playmaker throughout his time with the New England Patriots.
The wide receiver was one of several additions to New England when the Patriots revamped their roster with a free-agent frenzy prior to the 2021 season. Bourne signed a three-year contract to come to Foxboro after spending the first four seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
In his first season in New England, Bourne became an instant difference-maker. He gave rookie quarterback Mac Jones a play-making target who helped the offense drive the Patriots to a 10-win season and a return to postseason play. The wideout set career highs with 55 catches, 800 yards and five touchdowns.
Bourne even threw for a touchdown in a blowout win over the New York Jets.
That January, the Buffalo Bills dominated the Patriots in a 47-17 victory in the AFC Wild Card round to eliminate New England from the postseason. In that brutal loss, Bourne seemed to be the only bright spot, hauling in seven receptions for 77 yards as well as New England's only two touchdowns.
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After a season like that in New England, Bourne appeared to be a staple piece of the offense entering 2022. For whatever reason, that could not have been further from the case.
During training camp, the wide receiver missed a meeting, a mistake that virtually turned play caller Matt Patricia against him. A scuffle that got Bourne kicked out of practice did not help his cause either. Those were certainly offenses on the player's part that can be handled to make a point before moving on for the betterment of the team. Well, the Patriots did not do that either.
Bourne was targeted just one time in three of the first six weeks of the season and was inactive for the disastrous 33-14 home loss in primetime to the Chicago Bears in Week 7.
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The 2022 Patriots never utilized Bourne in the prominent role he deserved to play. The receiver had just one game during the season with more than five targets. That game came on Christmas Eve against the Cincinnati Bengals when Mac Jones targeted him nine times. Is it a coincidence that Bourne proceeded to tally six catches, rip off a 29-yard rush, set a career-high with 100 receiving yards and scored a key touchdown in a near second-half comeback? It's almost like the team's best pass-catcher should have been a priority on offense all along.
After missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record, the offseason offered good signs for Bourne with a fresh start through the return of Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator. From the start of the 2023 season, the Bourne of old seemed to be back in business, scoring two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Was there momentum after that game? No.
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Over the next four games, the 28-year-old received limited touches before the Patriots made their top offensive weapons a priority in him as well as rookie phenom Demario Douglas. From there, Bourne caught 19 passes in a three-game span, including a career-best 10-reception performance against the Las Vegas Raiders before finding the end zone in back-to-back divisional battles against the Bills and the Miami Dolphins.
Just as Bourne seemed to be finding a rhythm, his contract season came to an end when he tore his ACL in the second half of the Week 8 loss in Miami. With Bourne gone for the season, his future in New England is unclear.
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The Patriots would be wise to seek an extension with a quality player who is still on the young side of 30 and consistently performs when given the opportunity. On the other hand, would Bourne consider coming back?
On the surface level, Bourne has been a popular teammate and seems to enjoy playing in New England during his tenure. At the same time, there are superior offenses around the league that could bring him to a higher level of play with proper usage.
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This issue in New England is not limited to just this case. Prioritizing personnel is a developing problem with the Patriots, from offseason choices to in-season game plans. The examples that come to mind are letting Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency in favor of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had notable success prior to signing in New England but did not fit the system the way Meyers did. For a wide receiver group that failed to find athleticism and play-making, not getting more touches for skill targets such as Bourne and Douglas has severely limited any potential as an offense.
Bourne became a sparkplug for New England, injecting energy into the team with his positive attitude and his abilities to impact an offense. Even with his contributions, his New England legacy could have been even greater if the Patriots made him a priority for the full three seasons.
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Should Bourne leave in free agency this offseason, the Patriots will only have themselves to blame for not getting the most of a dynamic player on offense.
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Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
