Patriots Reach Agreement With Kendrick Bourne On New Contract

The New England Patriots made sure Kendrick Bourne didn’t get to pursue other options in free agency.

Bourne’s agent Henry Organ told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday night that the 28-year-old wide receiver and the Patriots agreed on a new three-year contract that will pay Bourne up to $33 million. According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, Bourne’s deal is initially worth $19.5 million and includes a $4.2 million signing bonus.

The Patriots practically confirmed the signing by posting a gif of Bourne to social media after the news broke.

Bourne was set to become an unrestricted free agent this week. But throughout the offseason, he expressed his desire to return to New England, where he spent the last three years and had some of the best seasons of his career.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound wideout was on pace to top his career highs this past season when he had 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns through eight games. But he suffered a torn ACL in a Week 8 road loss to the Miami Dolphins to bring his season to an end.

Bourne has been adamant that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from the significant injury and will be ready for the start of next season.

“(Dr. Neal ElAttrache) let me know that I’m going to be ready, come in minicamp getting ready and then training camp I’m full go,” Bourne said while appearing on “NFL Total Access” on Thursday. “My plan is to play Game 1. And I believe I’m going to be ready.”

It wasn’t looking likely earlier Sunday that Bourne and the Patriots would come to a contract agreement with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reporting that there was a “notable gap” between the two sides.

But the Patriots and Bourne solved whatever differences they had as the seventh-year veteran bolsters New England’s pedestrian wide receiver group. Bourne joins DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeMario Douglas and Tyquan Thornton as the receivers under contract with the Patriots next season.

Re-signing Bourne reportedly won’t take the Patriots out of the market for a wide receiver in free agency and Calvin Ridley is expected to be the team’s top target at the position, per Callahan.