Patriots reportedly benched Kendrick Bourne vs. Bears for this reason
"Any time we put the active roster together … we thought that that was the best thing to do for us."
New England’s offense took many steps forward in Sunday’s 19-3 win over the Bears.
While Drake Maye secured his first win as the team’s QB1, several other areas on offense finally followed in lockstep with their promising quarterback.
New England’s run game rebounded behind a 74-yard effort from Rhamondre Stevenson. Three different receivers finished with at least 40 yards through the air. Ja’Lynn Polk finally found some traction by reeling in a two-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
But amid all of those gains, veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne found himself stapled to the bench.
As noted by Pats Pulpit’s Brian Hines, Bourne finished with zero snaps in Sunday’s win — with other wideouts like K.J. Osborn (29 snaps), DeMario Douglas (27 snaps), and even Javon Baker (four snaps) earning more looks in Chicago.
It was a curious decision by New England, considering that Bourne factored heavily into the Patriots’ offensive approach since returning to the field following major knee surgery last season.
Even with a slow start this season, Bourne has been one of the few bright spots in New England’s receiver corps over the last few years — recording 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns over eight games last season before tearing his ACL.
So why exactly did Bourne not earn a single snap on Sunday? According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, it was because of New England’s emphasis on allocating more reps to younger players.
“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,” Callahan posted on X during Sunday’s game.
Speaking after the game, Jerod Mayo did not point to a youth movement as the determining factor that led to Bourne’s benching.
“There was a lot that went into that,” Mayo said. “Any time we put the active roster together … we thought that that was the best thing to do for us, to give us the best chance to win. All those guys bring a certain skill set to the game.
“We just didn’t know who was going to play more, and it just played out that way. … But I will say this, even though Bourne didn’t play today, he was the first one smiling when I walked in the locker room. And I’ve always appreciated that — just his energy and excitement.”
Sunday’s broadcast saw Bourne fully engaged alongside his Patriots teammates, running down near the end zone to congratulate Polk after the rookie snagged his second touchdown pass of the season.
Bourne — who re-upped in New England on a three-year contract in March — was all smiles after the Patriots secured its third win of the year.
While New England would be wise to give more reps to younger receivers like Polk and Baker down the stretch in this rebuilding year, giving those snaps to another veteran in Osborn — one who was listed in several trade rumors the last few weeks — does seem odd.
Even if New England does want to see what it has with players like Polk and DeMario Douglas, Bourne is still a veteran pass-catcher who can only help a young QB like Maye moving forward this year.
Bourne’s benching does raise a few eyebrows, but Mayo had plenty of praise for the veteran’s approach and attitude after the game.
“We talk about abundance versus scarcity, and having that mindset of abundance, where we can all eat, versus scarcity,” Mayo said. “If you have that scarcity mindset, you don’t want your teammate to do well, because it’s only a certain amount of the pie. And what I will say is that the mindset of this team is that we go out there with enough plays to be made for all of us. We’ve just got to go out and execute.”
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