Kendrick Bourne Gets Biblical About Benching

Kendrick Bourne was the New England Patriots’ most productive wide receiver in 2023 before his season ended prematurely. He was arguably the best offensive player on the team at any position. An ACL injury in Week 8 ended Bourne’s campaign. His 37 receptions, 406 yards, and four touchdowns continued to lead the team in all three categories until Week 14.

Despite coming off a serious injury, Eliot Wolf made bringing Bourne back to New England an offseason priority. The Patriots re-signed Bourne to a three-year $19.5 million deal, with the potential to be worth up to $33 million, before the opening of free agency. It looked like a win-win deal for both sides. The Patriots retained their best player at a position of need for a reasonable cost. Bourne got financial security while coming off a serious injury to stay in New England, where he appeared happy.

Bourne was on the PUP list (physically unable to perform) throughout training camp and for the first four weeks of the 2024 season. New England likely expected this. Bourne’s name popped up repeatedly in trade rumors despite the team’s offseason commitment to him. The Patriots reportedly offered him as part of a package to land Brandon Aiyuk from San Francisco. Then Bourne’s name was floated in more general rumors before the NFL Trade Deadline.

Also Read – PFF’s Best and Worst Patriots Grades of Week 10 (at Chicago)

The idea of shipping out a veteran player so soon after he agreed to a three-year contract to remain in New England seemed strange. However, Bourne playing no snaps on Sunday against the Chicago Bears seemed even stranger. It wasn’t just that Bourne didn’t see the field in the game, it was the reported reasoning behind it that felt odd.

Kendrick Bourne’s 2024 Season

After being inactive for the first four games on PUP, the Patriots activated Bourne. He has been on the active game-day roster for the past six games. His season totals pale in comparison to his 2023 numbers. He’s caught eight passes for 70 yards, two first downs, and no touchdowns. By comparison, through his first six games last season Bourne had 28 receptions for 307 yards, 12 first downs, and two touchdowns.

Kendrick Bourne struggled mightily in Week 8 against the New York Jets. Drake Maye targeted Bourne three times and completed none of the attempts. Bourne dropped one pass officially, but at least two should have been caught. It was his first drop since Week 18 in 2022. He finished with zero receptions for the first time since Week 16 of 2022 (he played only eight snaps and was targeted once in that game). However, Bourne had a solid rebound performance in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, catching four passes for 41 yards. Both marked season highs for Bourne. His performance against Tennessee made it confusing when New England opted to bench him against Chicago the next week.

Why Didn’t Kendrick Bourne Play?

Bourne sitting throughout the first half was noticeable. He had played 37 snaps against the Jets and 45 vs. the Titans. Andrew Callahan posted during the game that the benching did not come as a surprise to Bourne. Callahan wrote:

“Source: #Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne, who played 78% of the team’s offensive snaps the last 2 games, was informed yesterday afternoon he may not play today as the staff prioritizes playing time for young players. Bourne is the only WR not to play through the first 5 drives.”

Source: #Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne, who played 78% of the team's offensive snaps the last 2 games, was informed yesterday afternoon he may not play today as the staff prioritizes playing time for young players.

Bourne is the only WR not to play through the first 5 drives. pic.twitter.com/aylDVTDJju

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) November 10, 2024

That trend continued throughout the afternoon. Kayshon Boutte led New England Patriots receivers with 62 offensive snaps. Following Boutte in snaps were K.J. Osborn (29), DeMario Douglas (27), Ja’Lynn Polk (25), and Javon Baker (4). Bourne received no snaps, and Tyquan Thornton was inactive.

Does This Explanation Make Sense?

There are a few issues with Callahan’s report, none of which suggest he got it wrong. Shouldn’t winning be the Patriots top priority? Jerod Mayo stressed since the start of training camp that the best players will play. It would have been easy to say Bourne was not one of those players following his performance against the Jets, but it is a tough sell after he performed well against the Titans.

Furthermore, if prioritizing young players getting snaps is important, why was K.J. Osborn, in the final year of his contract, second among the wide receivers in snaps? The veteran doesn’t qualify as a young player, nor has he been particularly productive. Javon Baker received only four offensive snaps, and Tyquan Thornton didn’t even dress.

Kendrick Bourne getting to play would make sense for several reasons. Bourne’s deal runs through 2026. Having him build a rapport with Drake Maye is important if he’s going to remain in New England. Kendrick Bourne can also make plays. His performance in Week 8 was awful but not indicative of the type of player he is. Furthermore, if benching him to prioritize playing younger players is the justification, Javon Baker should get more than four snaps and it is tough to make a case for K.J. Osborn receiving significant time.

Kendrick Bourne’s Response

There have been several disgruntled players in the Patriots wide receivers’ room, particularly early in the season. Fortunately, Kendrick Bourne was not one of them. More fortunate for New England, he didn’t become one after being benched. Bourne ran off the field all smiles after New England left Chicago with a 19-3 victory.

And when I'm back in Chicago, I feel ittttttt 🎶 pic.twitter.com/6N1vReaI9K

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024

Bourne took to Instagram the next day. His post showed what a team player and leader Bourne has become. It was a Bible passage from Philippians 2:3-4.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” wrote Bourne. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others!

New England is fortunate to have Kendrick Bourne. Whether he is a number one option, as he was in 2023, or a cheerleader, as he was on Sunday, the team needs players with his positive attitude and production potential. Bourne becoming a team captain in 2025, assuming he stays, is likely. But Bourne’s positive attitude still doesn’t explain away the wide receiver reps on Sunday. If he’s not playing because his injury limits him to not being among the team’s best options, that’s understandable. If they’re not playing him to give younger players opportunities, but the Patriots then play K.J. Osborn 29 snaps and Javon Baker four, that is tough to justify.

The New England Patriots should prioritize building a team around rookie quarterback Drake Maye. They have five wide receivers under team control through 2026: Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Javon Baker. This group should get reps with Drake Maye if the team has an eye on the future. If the priority is winning, Bourne should be playing. If he is not healthy enough to contribute, he should be inactive. Dressing Bourne and not playing him make no sense, however. At least not from this perspective.

The Patriots are lucky Kendrick Bourne maintained a positive attitude. Things worked out well in Week 10. That said, the game plan not to play him needs to be reevaluated moving forward.