Patriots Rumors: Latest On Contract Talks With Kendrick Bourne

The Patriots have a tough decision to make on arguably their best wide receiver of the past few years.

Kendrick Bourne, who joined New England as a free agent back in 2021, is slated to hit the open market when the new NFL year opens next month. Bourne was on pace for a career season this past fall, but his campaign was derailed in Week 8 when he suffered a torn right ACL.

It's unclear how Bourne's injury recovery is impacting the Patriots' interest in retaining the veteran wideout. But according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, there have been "no substantial contract extension talks" thus far between the sides.

Bourne has made his free agency preference abundantly clear. It's a "goal" for the 28-year-old to keep playing in Foxboro, Mass., even though the Patriots will enter the 2024 season with a first-year head coach, new offensive coordinator and perhaps a rookie quarterback. Bourne believes "something good" is on the horizon in New England, where the team hasn't won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII.

A recent report indicated Bourne is anticipating "strong interest" across the league when he hits free agency. So if the Patriots don't hang onto the eighth-year pro, it probably won't be difficult for Bourne to find a new NFL landing spot.