Patriots’ Kendrick Bourne Not Eyeing Trade Back To 49ers
Trade rumors have followed Kendrick Bourne for much of his Patriots tenure. Despite having re-signed with the team on a three-year deal in March, his name circulated in potential trades this summer and again recently.
The 49ers discussed Bourne with the Patriots this offseason, as the defending NFC champions would have wanted him to come back if Brandon Aiyuk had wanted to be traded to New England. He did not, despite the Pats submitting the top per-year offer. As for Bourne, he does not want to be traded back to his original team.
[RELATED: Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte Unhappy With Role]
“This is where I want to be. I see myself being a strong footprint for this change, and a foundation of where this place is going, because I helped the Niners in their foundation get to where they are,” Bourne said, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “And I want to do it here. I just kind of ignore it, but I hear it, but this is where — I want to do it here, you know what I’m saying? I want to, because when it starts popping, it’s going to be popping, and so I want to be a part of it.
“Because San Fran, they popping, and I see it from a distance. But now that’s not my calling. My calling is to be here and help these guys here in this organization here.
One of the 2021 additions brought in during Bill Belichick‘s uncharacteristic free agency splurge, Bourne has impressed at points in New England. The former 49ers role player finished with a career-high 800 receiving yards in 2021, helping the team to the playoffs in Josh McDaniels‘ final OC season. As the Pats’ offense cratered during the odd Matt Patricia play-calling season, Bourne was made available as he fell into Belichick’s doghouse. Re-emerging last season, Bourne was leading Patriots pass catchers with 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games before suffering an ACL tear. But the team still prioritized him during an offseason that featured numerous re-signings and extensions.
Bourne, who began this season on the reserve/PUP list, is now 29. Although he re-signed on a three-year deal worth $19.5MM, only $5.5MM is guaranteed. An acquiring team would have Bourne on a flexible contract, and with the Pats rebuilding, it would make sense if the eighth-year veteran was interested in being dealt. As of now, he is not eager to move. Bourne is a bit out of place on this Pats roster, as the rest of the team’s receiving corps consists of players drafted from 2022-24. (K.J. Osborn was also acquired during Eliot Wolf‘s first offseason in charge.) But Bourne, who has just four catches for 29 yards in three games this season, told Kyed he is willing to be a mentor in New England.
The 49ers saw their receiver operation crumble against the Chiefs. Deebo Samuel needed to be hospitalized with pneumonia, and Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear. Jauan Jennings missed the game and has not returned to practice this week, and Ricky Pearsall was making his debut weeks after being shot in a robbery attempt. Considering Bourne’s four seasons in Kyle Shanahan‘s system and the NFC West team’s interest in reacquiring him this summer, an emergency return would be logical.
Losers of six straight, the Patriots will have until Nov. 5 to decide on moving Bourne and their other trade candidates.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Generating Trade Interest?
For sheer consistency, Kendrick Bourne can hold his own with the likes of Courtland Sutton and Denzel Mims in terms of trade rumor volume. As both those wideouts came up across multiple years, Bourne saw his name thrown into rumors in 2022 and 2023.
The 49ers also discussed a Bourne reunion with the Patriots — as part of Brandon Aiyuk trade talks that also included Sutton — this summer. While Bourne re-signed with the Patriots in March, he looks to be back on the trade radar. As the Pats have struggled since their season-opening win over the Bengals, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes Bourne has again come up in trade rumors.
Like Sutton, trade buzz has followed Bourne in each of the past three years. The Patriots re-signed Bourne to a three-year, $19.5MM deal. That pact came with only $5.5MM guaranteed at signing, as an ACL tear cut short Bourne’s promising 2023 season. The Patriots activated Bourne from their reserve/PUP list in Week 5. He has started slowly on his second Pats contract, catching three passes for 15 yards in two games.
Bourne, 29, is the Pats’ longest-tenured receiver, having initially arrived in Foxborough as part of Bill Belichick‘s uncharacteristic spending spree in 2021. With Matt Judon traded, only Bourne and Hunter Henry remain from that free agency haul. Despite leading the Patriots in receiving when he went down last season, Bourne has operated as a backup thus far this year. As Bourne reacclimates, the Pats have seen younger wideouts Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte show some promise. Now that Drake Maye is at the controls for a 1-5 team, it will make sense for the Pats to give their young receivers plenty of run.
Though, Bourne can also work as a potential security blanket for the No. 3 overall pick. Jerod Mayo also recently called Bourne one of the team’s top three wide receivers. The Patriots made Bourne available in 2022, when he fell into Belichick’s doghouse, and calls came in again in 2023 — both in August and October. Bourne sustained his knee injury two days before last year’s deadline. Bourne has nevertheless persisted, being one of many Belichick additions to remain in the Pats’ plans under new front office boss Eliot Wolf.
More Patriots figure to come up before the deadline, as Wolf will undoubtedly be interested in adding draft capital to help this rebuild. Based on history, it would surprise if Bourne’s name did not continue to be mentioned.
Patriots Activate WR Kendrick Bourne, S Marte Mapu
The Patriots will be dealing with a number of injuries along the offensive line moving forward, but the team’s receiving corps is set to receive a boost. Kendrick Bourne is set to be activated from the PUP list, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
The move will allow Bourne to make his season debut during tomorrow’s game against the Dolphins. The 29-year-old returned to practice earlier this week (when first eligible), so it comes as no surprise he will be back in the fold tomorrow. Expectations will be in place for him to handle a notable workload early and often once on the field.
Bourne’s 73% snap share from last season was not only the highest of his Patriots tenure but also his career. He was limited to only eight games due to an ACL tear, an injury which halted an encouraging campaign. The ailment was not serious enough to dissuade New England from committing to a new three-year, $19.5MM contract, however. Bourne’s return will provide the Patriots with another pass-catching option, something which will be welcomed given their struggles on offense.
New England ranks 31st in the NFL in scoring and last in passing yardage. The timing of when rookie Drake Maye will take over at quarterback remains a key storyline surrounding the team, but for now Jacoby Brissett is atop the depth chart. Adding Bourne (who averaged a personal best 50.8 yards per game and scored four touchdowns last year) to the mix will provide a starting-caliber option alongside Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn and Ja’Lynn Polk in a receiver room which may not include Tyquan Thornton for much longer.
The Patriots are also expected to activate safety Marte Mapu from injured reserve, as first reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. That move is now official, along with Bourne’s activation. Mapu entered the league with the versatility to play at middle linebacker, but the 2023 third-rounder saw time in the secondary during his rookie campaign in addition to a special teams workload. Designated for return from IR before roster cutdowns, the 24-year-old returned to practice on Wednesday, signaling his pending activation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Practice window opened: T Christian Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: LB Nathaniel Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Practice window opened: DT Jonathan Ford
Houston Texans
- Practice window opened: DT Kurt Hinish
Las Vegas Raiders
- Practice window opened: S Trey Taylor
New York Giants
- Practice window opened: LB Matthew Adams
Miami Dolphins
- Practice window opened: CB Cam Smith
New England Patriots
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki (story)
- Practice window opened: S Marte Mapu
New York Jets
- Practice window opened: DT Leki Fotu
- Released from IR: LB Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: RB Aaron Shampklin
- Practice window opened: LB Jeremiah Moon
San Francisco 49ers
- Practice window opened: DL Kalia Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from PUP list: DT Cameron Young
Today marks most teams’ first practice before Week 5, making it the first date players stashed on IR as teams set their initial 53-man rosters can work out again with their teams. This year’s IR tweak allowed teams to designate up to two players for return August 27, the catch being all players who receive that designation count toward their respective club’s eight-activation total. The batch included in today’s minor moves post consists entirely of players to receive that August IR-return designation.
The IR-return window is unchanged, however, with teams having 21 days from Wednesday to activate these players. Anyone from today’s group not being activated from IR by October 23 must miss the rest of the season. PFR will keep track of all players returning from IR via the Injured Reserve Return Tracker.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Expected To Practice This Week
After starting the year on the reserve/PUP list, Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will soon be back on the field. Coach Jerod Mayo confirmed to reporters today that the veteran wide receiver is expected to start practicing on Wednesday, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
Bourne hasn’t played since Week 8 of last season after suffering a season-ending ACL tear. The wideout was having one of his strongest campaigns prior to his injury, averaging a career-high 50.8 yards per game. Despite his uncertain status heading into the 2024 campaign, the Patriots were comfortable enough handing the veteran a three-year extension this offseason.
After inking a three-year, $15MM deal with New England ahead of the 2021 campaign, Bourne often found himself with an inconsistent role. He had a standout first season with the Patriots, collecting career-highs in receptions (55), receiving yards (800), and touchdowns (five). While poor QB play was partly to blame for his drop in production in 2022, Bourne got into only 441 offensive snaps, his lowest total since his rookie campaign with the 49ers. Those snaps were back up in 2023, with the wideout getting into 73 percent of his team’s offensive snaps prior to his injury.
While the Patriots will surely welcome back Bourne, his return shouldn’t do a whole lot to remedy a putrid offense. Jacoby Brissett has struggled under center for the Patriots this season, leading to natural calls for rookie Drake Maye to take over. Bourne will be entering an uncertain WR room that’s currently led by the likes of K.J. Osborn, Demario Douglas, and second-round rookie Ja’Lynn Polk. Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, and rookie fourth-round pick Javon Baker have generally been the odd men out, and one of those players may be dropped when Bourne is ready to join the active roster.
Patriots Injury Updates: Ximines, Barmore, Strange
The Patriots started the season with a crowded injured list. In addition to seven players on injured reserve, New England has one player on the reserve/non-football injury list and three players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Here are some updates on three of those eleven players, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. 
Oshane Ximines didn’t start the season on injured reserve, but due to an injury suffered on punt coverage in Week 2, he has found his way there. Ximines, a reserve outside linebacker and key special teamer, is in his first year with the Patriots after five seasons with the Giants.
A former third-round pick out of Old Dominion, Ximines flashed potential in his rookie season with sack (4.5), tackle for loss (5), and quarterback hit (9) numbers that have stood to this point as career highs. Since then, his role has varied greatly from year to year. Fellow New England defender Jonathan Jones predicted a big season for Ximines in 2024, but a torn ACL has put that prediction to bed as the 27-year-old will miss the remainder of the season.
Another injured defender is defensive lineman Christian Barmore, the sole player on the NFI list. Barmore has been on the injured list since being diagnosed with blood clots in July. The team has braced for a potential full-season absence for Barmore, and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement on that prognosis. While Barmore has been spending more time around the team as of late, he hasn’t been cleared by doctors and likely won’t be any time soon.
Lastly, usual starting guard Cole Strange started the season on PUP after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in December last year. Around the NFL, players on NFI, PUP, and IR-designated to return lists will be eligible to start practicing. While the other two players on PUP — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and linebacker Sione Takitaki — and the lone IR-designated to return player — safety Marte Mapu — are likely to begin their practice periods this week, Reiss does not believe Strange is ready to take that step quite yet.
Patriots Set 53-Man Roster
The Patriots have set their first 53-man roster in a post-Bill Belichick era. The team announced the following moves:
Released:
- S Joshuah Bledsoe
- OT Kellen Diesch
- OL Liam Fornadel
- LB Joe Giles-Harris
- RB Kevin Harris
- RB Terrell Jennings
- LB Kobe Jones
- WR Matt Landers
- G Atonio Mafi
- DE Jotham Russell
- K Chad Ryland (story)
- S A.J. Thomas
- CB Shaun Wade
- WR David Wallis
- TE Mitchell Wilcox
- QB Bailey Zappe (story)
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- WR Kendrick Bourne (story)
- G Cole Strange
- LB Sione Takitaki
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
Placed on IR:
- OL Calvin Anderson
- S Marte Mapu (designated to return)
- DT Armon Watts
Atonio Mafi was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots just last year, and he ended up starting five of his 17 appearances as a rookie. It wasn’t pretty for the UCLA alumni, as Pro Football Focus ultimately graded Mafi as the second-worst qualifying guard in the NFL (among 79 qualifying players).
Kevin Harris was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2022, but the running back struggled to carve out a role through his two seasons with the squad. The South Carolina product was ultimately limited to nine appearances (one start), collecting 175 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Patriots Shift WR Kendrick Bourne To Reserve/PUP List
Ahead of Drake Maye‘s rookie season, the Patriots will not have one of their wide receiver regulars available. Despite re-signing Kendrick Bourne in free agency, New England will not have him on the field for a bit.
Bourne went down with an ACL tear in late October, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Pats will shuttle him to the reserve/PUP list. This will sideline Bourne for at least four games, pushing his recovery timetable to nearly a year. This has long loomed as a rebuilding year for the Patriots, who will give the veteran pass catcher more time to complete his rehab.
Early in what became a re-signing/extension spree for new Patriots front office boss Eliot Wolf, the team re-signed Bourne on a three-year, $19.5MM deal. That pact includes $5.5MM guaranteed. Bourne, 29, was on pace for a strong 2023 contract year. After a strange 2022 in which trade rumors engulfed a wide receiver that had seemingly fallen into Bill Belichick‘s doghouse, the former 49ers cog averaged a career-high 50.8 yards per game (37/406) and scored four touchdowns despite failing to make it past Week 8.
The Patriots have already made a big move at wide receiver, releasing JuJu Smith-Schuster (leading him back to the Chiefs). Jerod Mayo‘s team also made aggressive pursuits of Calvin Ridley in free agency and Brandon Aiyuk via trade. Both efforts came up empty, leaving a young receiving corps in place for Maye and/or Jacoby Brissett to open the season.
New England used second- and fourth-round picks on wideouts (Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker) and signed ex-Vikings slot player K.J. Osborn. The team, which must pare its roster to 53 players at 3pm CT today, also rosters intriguing Day 3 draftee Demario Douglas, Jalen Reagor and former second-rounder Tyquan Thornton at the position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OT Julién Davenport
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Coker, Chau Smith-Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on NFI: OT Trent Brown
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
- Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on PUP: LB Darien Butler, OL Jacob Johanning, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Jalen Guyton, T Kolton Miller
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on PUP: TE Tyler Higbee
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kyric McGowan
- Placed on PUP: WR Odell Beckham, LB David Long
- Placed on IR: WR Tahj Washington
- Activated off NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed, S Mark Perry
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
- Placed on NFI: RB Antonio Gibson
New York Giants
- Placed on PUP: T Evan Neal▪️, CB Aaron Robinson
- Placed on NFI: DB Jalen Mills, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Activated from PUP: WR Tyler Harrell, DT Leonard Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on NFI: DB Cooper DeJean
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on PUP: LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga
- Placed on NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Marcus Simms, OT Jalen Sundell
- Activated from PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on NFI: QB Zack Annexstad, TE Tanner Taula
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on PUP: WR Colton Dowell, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
Latest On Patriots’ WR Pursuit
Following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley, the Patriots continue to be on the lookout for wide receivers. While speaking with reporters today, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf acknowledged that the team still had a need for an outside receiver (per Evan Lazar of the team website).
The Patriots moved on from DeVante Parker earlier this offseason and replaced him with K.J. Osborn, who Lazar profiles as more of a “complementary piece.” Further, Osborn is a better fit for the Z/slot role, a job that would also be ideal for the team’s other top wide receivers: Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas. While the team is still rostering the likes of Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte (along with veterans like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Reagor), it makes sense that the Patriots would be pursuing a speedster for their offense.
As a result, the Patriots have been mentioned as a popular landing spot for any of the veteran WRs that could shake loose, a grouping that includes the likes of Brandon Aiyuk and Tee Higgins. While Wolf wouldn’t give any specifics, he did acknowledge that the team is pursuing multiple paths as they look to add to the position.
“We’ve had conversations with teams about different scenarios,” Wolf said. “Not just at receiver but at other positions. That’s definitely something that we’d be open to.”
The team was aggressive in their pursuit of Ridley, but the Patriots ended up losing the sweepstakes to the Titans. Robert Kraft previously said the team didn’t lose out on Ridley because of financials. Instead, the owner gave a variety of reasons for not adding the receiver, including taxes, the quarterbacks situation, and the WR’s girlfriend. However, Wolf seemed to acknowledge that it was indeed money that led to the Patriots losing out on the free agent wideout.
“Another team offered more money [for Ridley] would be the main thing,” Wolf said.
The Patriots could have their pick of the top WR prospects with the number-three pick, a grouping that’s led by Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Washington’s Rome Odunze. However, since the team is expected to take a QB with their first-round pick, Lazar points to a number of later-round receivers like Adonai Mitchell, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Devontez Walker, and Brenden Rice.