Patriots Lose Leading Receiver for the Season

On Sunday, the Patriots lost their sixth game of the season. They also lost three players to injuries in the game. One of those players received some bad news on Monday. Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots leading receiver this season, has reportedly torn his right ACL, with the expectation being a 6-to-8 month recovery.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss was the first to report.

Bourne has been one of the brightest spots on the Patriots offense. His 2023 numbers through eight games: 37 receptions, 406 yards and four touchdowns. He easily leads New England in all three categories. Kendrick Bourne’s production had him on pace for 79 receptions, 863 yards and 9 touchdowns.

The injury comes at an awful time for Bourne. The wide receiver was enjoying a career year. Bourne is set to become an NFL free agent in 2024. Based on his play this season, he had a great opportunity to cash in, either from the Patriots or on the open market.

It is also a bad blow for the New England Patriots. They have had trouble with injuries this season. Several players missed games and the injury report is lengthy on a weekly basis, Bourne is now the seventh Patriots player to be placed on Injured Reserve. Bourne joins LB Matthew Judon, CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Marcus Jones, DT Daniel Ekuele, OL Riley Reiff and OT Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.

With the NFL Trade Deadline looming on Tuesday, trading Kendrick Bourne was a possibility as well. If he wasn’t going to be helping the New England Patriots turn. this season he around, he could have helped them in the future by getting some assets back in return for his services. Bourne would have been one of the most attractive targets on the trade market for wide receivers. Now he will not be able to assist New England on the field or by trading him away.

Kendrick Bourne signed with San Francisco as a UDFA out of Eastern Washington in 2017. However, Bourne worked hard and made the 49ers as a rookie. Bourne spent his first four NFL seasons with the 49ers before joining the Patriots in free agency. He signed a three-year $22.5 million deal with New England prior to the 2021 season. In 41 games with the Patriots, Bourne has 127 receptions for 1,640 yards and 10 touchdown receptions.

The New England Patriots will not be trading Kendrick Bourne at the NFL Trade Deadline. Kendrick Bourne won’t help the New England Patriots on the field again in 2023. And Kendrick Bourne’s NFL future is now unknown, as he heads to free agency while recovering from an ACL injury.