Kendrick Bourne technically was active in Week 10, but that wasn’t an accurate description of the Patriots wide receiver at Soldier Field.
Although he wasn’t a healthy scratch against the Bears like fellow wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, Bourne didn’t see the field for New England against Chicago. Patriots coaches wanted to prioritize opportunities for younger wideouts in the Windy City and gave Bourne a heads-up about his potential de facto benching.
The ever-positive pass-catcher didn’t let no playing time bring down his mood, though. Bourne was all smiles after New England bested Caleb Williams and company by two touchdowns and even took to social media to celebrate his team’s third win of the campaign.
Bourne still found a way to stand out Sunday despite not catching a pass. The 29-year-old received praise from head coach Jerod Mayo for bringing his patented “energy and excitement” to the locker room on one of the best days of the Patriots’ season to date.
It remains to be seen if Bourne will have an on-field role for New England on Sunday when it hosts the Los Angeles Rams. But no matter what Patriots decision-makers have planned for the eighth-year pro, it feels very safe to assume he’ll continue to be a great teammate.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images