Patriots’ Kendrick Bourne reacts to his ‘tough’ benching vs. Bears

"I’m going to be positive, look on the bright side. I’m still here, I have an opportunity."

Kendrick Bourne was all smiles despite his limited reps on Sunday in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

November 14, 2024

3 minutes to read

The Patriots left Chicago’s Soldier Field with a win on Sunday, with several players on both sides of the ball contributing en route to a convincing 19-3 victory.

But on an afternoon where New England’s reworked roster executed with complementary football, veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne found himself miring on the sideline.

The 29-year-old wideout — coming off of his most productive performance of the season against the Titans (four catches on six targets, 41 yards) — didn’t log a single snap in Sunday’s win.

According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, Bourne’s benching was due to New England wanting to prioritize more playing time for younger receivers.

While Patriots rookie wideout Ja’Lynn Polk did reward the team by reeling in his second touchdown of the season, the rest of New England’s snap counts were perplexing — at least as far as the team’s receiving corps.

While younger pass-catchers like Kayshon Boutte (62 snaps) were given featured roles with Bourne benched, the Patriots wideout with the second-most snaps was free-agent signing K.J. Osborn.

Osborn — who found himself listed in multiple trade rumors earlier this month — logged more snaps than both Polk and DeMario Douglas.

Speaking after Sunday’s win, Jerod Mayo didn’t go into specifics as to why Bourne was benched.

“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.”

Speaking to MassLive’s Mark Daniels on Wednesday, Bourne acknowledged that his benching was the result of the team wanting to give younger players more reps. However, the veteran WR also took the move in stride while focusing on the future.

“They’re trying to get the young guys going. They kind of just told me through the week that I was going to be down,” Bourne told Daniels. “I looked at it internally. Not pointing a finger. I can play better. I look at my film. I look at myself. Honestly, I don’t think it has anything to do with my knee. It’s just I have to play better. The Jets game, I think about that — I have to make those plays. I can block better. I can do a lot of things better. Just look within as I evaluate myself.

“Even the Tennessee game, I had some good catches, but I can play better. That’s kind of how I look at it. If I want to play, if they see something that I can’t see, I have to go apply myself, so I’m not in this situation. That’s how I’m approaching it.”

It’s been a slow start for Bourne, who was sidelined at the beginning of the 2024 season while working his way back from a torn ACL. He only has eight catches for 70 yards since returning to the field in October.

But Bourne has established himself as a dependable target so far during his tenure in New England. Even with the Patriots’ offensive woes in 2023, Bourne reeled in 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns over eight games before going down with his knee injury.

Even if Mayo and the Patriots might want to see what players like Polk, Boutte, and Douglas have to offer moving forward, Bourne still has the means to be a steady option for Drake Maye on offense.

“We’re winning, so that fixes everything. That’s great to win. But it’s tough. I’ve had a great career,” Bourne told Daniels. “I’ve built a good resume, so I know who I am. I know what I stand for. I’ve always been a positive guy, so when things get tough and get rough, do I change?

“Do I become somebody else? That’s not the approach I’m going to take. I’m going to be positive, look on the bright side. I’m still here, I have an opportunity. I think it’s going to come back around. I’m staying prepared, practicing hard for my opportunity when it comes.”

For Bourne, the first step toward getting back on the field is a strong performance in practices ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Rams.