Did Kendrick Bourne throw a dig at Bill Belichick while discussing new Patriots leadership?

"He’s just, treating everybody fairly, giving everybody an opportunity."

Kendrick Bourne found himself in Matt Patricia's doghouse during the 2022 season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

March 18, 2024

2 minutes to read

Things have changed in Foxborough over the last few months, to put it lightly.

Not only is legendary head coach Bill Belichick no longer patrolling the sideline, but Belichick’s departure also prompted several changes to the rest of New England’s coaching staff and front office.

And while it remains to be seen how the revamped Patriots will fare under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and de-facto GM Eliot Wolf, it seems like players will be able to breathe a little easier under this new regime.

While speaking on the “Pats Interference” Podcast with Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald last week, recently re-signed wide receiver Kendrick Bourne praised Wolf and his approach — while also potentially throwing a jab at the Patriots’ old ways of running things.

“He’s just, treating everybody fairly, giving everybody an opportunity, bringing guys in not just – you drop a pass, you don’t get an opportunity next week,” Bourne said of Wolf.

Even though Bourne did not outright call out Belichick and or other former coaches, it’s easy to put two and two together here.

Throughout Belichick’s tenure in New England, several critical mistakes — be it a turnover, missed assignment, etc. — often gave way to a drastic cut in snaps for certain players, if not an outright benching.

Bourne, who found himself in Matt Patricia’s doghouse throughout the 2022 season, pointed to rookie Demario Douglas as a prime example of those high standards set against young, dynamic players.

Despite the initial promise that Douglas showcased through the preseason and the early weeks of the year, the shifty pass-catcher was benched for a majority of New England’s Week 2 loss to the Dolphins after fumbling the ball in the first quarter.

Even though Douglas eventually worked his way back into regular reps on New England’s offense, Bourne stressed any extended benchings could harm a young player’s confidence.

“It’s just inevitable,” Bourne said. “He’s trying to be an explosive player like he is, be himself. But then when you don’t put us back in the game … that kills the confidence. I think that’s going to be the difference. It’s like, ‘No, bro, you just made a mistake, that can happen to anyone.’ That mindset is just going to help a player take off.”

Of course, Belichick’s stringent approach did lead to six Super Bowl titles in Foxborough during his 24 seasons as head coach.

But with a rebuilding New England roster likely set to incorporate several rookies in critical spots of the depth chart in 2024, a bit more leniency might be needed in Foxborough moving forward.