Kendrick Bourne called Patriots’ decision to make Matt Patricia offensive play caller in 2022 a ‘crazy choice’
Even though he might not be in New England next year, Bourne is hopeful about the coaching changes the Patriots made this offseason.
Kendrick Bourne is excited over the changes made to the Patriots’ coaching staff this offseason, but he also still laments over a questionable decision Bill Belichick made in 2022.
The Patriots wide receiver called the team’s decision to make Matt Patricia the team’s offensive play caller a “crazy choice” as he was sharing his thoughts on new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand.”
“It was rough,” Bourne said of Patricia’s involvement with the offense in 2022. “Even the media world and the [rest of the] world was looking at it too, like ‘What’s going on?’ And we had the same questions too, like, ‘Why?’
“For me personally, I kind of fell victim to the situation too, asking why instead of focusing on myself getting better. I struggled in 2022, man. So, I came back 2023 going hard because [of the] circumstances, man, and I became a better player from the situation. But it was just a questionable decision, as we all know.”
Bourne arguably had the biggest downturn among all of the Patriots’ offensive players from the 2021 to 2022 seasons. After putting up a career year in his first season in New England (55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns), Bourne played in 44 percent of the offensive snaps and only had 35 receptions for 434 yards and a touchdown.
Reports emerged early in the 2022 season that Bourne was in Patricia’s doghouse. He told CBS Sports’ “The Zach Gelb Show” earlier in the week that he wasn’t sure why Patrica disciplined him, saying “it was just a tough situation.”
Bourne seemed hopeful though about Van Pelt.
“Hopefully these next few years — the new OC I think is a good fit, too,” Bourne said. “I don’t know who he is, but I think it’s different in bringing a West Coast-type vibe, so we’ll see how that goes. But it was a crazy choice [to hire Patricia].”
Van Pelt, a former NFL quarterback, has long ties to the West Coast offense, notably working under Mike McCarthy as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach from 2014-17. The Browns also implemented part of the West Coast offense over Van Pelt’s four-year stint as offensive coordinator.
Whether Bourne will get the chance to play in Van Pelt’s offense remains to be seen. He’s entering free agency in March, possibly marking the end of his tenure in New England after three seasons.
Further complicating Bourne’s situation, he was playing the best football of his career in 2023. He recorded 37 receptions for 406 yards before tearing his ACL in Week 8.
Bourne told “Zolak & Bertrand” that he hoped to be ready by Week 1 of next season as he’s stated on several occasions that he’d like to remain with the Patriots. If his next NFL game is in New England, he’s excited about who the Patriots’ next head coach coach.
“He’s the guy. He’s the right fit,” Bourne said of Jerod Mayo. “I’m glad they kept somebody in the building that understands [Bill] Belichick and can kind of go in a new wave. There’s young players coming in, so I think he’s going to gel the room together. Guys like [Devin] McCourty, [Matthew] Slater leaving, it was just crazy that Belichick left, too.
“It was like an [end of] era — it was just time. I love Bill, but Mayo’s the right fit.”
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