Report: Patriots release veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne
Kendrick Bourne is reportedly out after four seasons in New England after requesting his release from the team.
The Patriots released wide receiver Kendrick Bourne on Wednesday, according to ESPN.
The move comes one day after Tuesday’s deadline to trim the roster to 53 players. Bourne made the initial round of cuts, but ultimately ended up asking for the team to let him go, according to the report.
The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported that the Patriots failed to finalize a trade that would have involved Bourne going to Minnesota.
Boston.com listed Bourne as one of five potential “surprise cut” candidates earlier in the preseason. Four of the five players on the list ended up either being cut or placed on injured reserve.
The Patriots released former first round pick Cole Strange. Ja’Lynn Polk is reportedly expected to miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Jahlani Tavai was listed on IR with a designation to return. Kyle Dugger, who has been the subject of trade rumors after falling down the depth chart, remains on the roster.
Bourne had dealt with some nagging injuries during the preseason, and had several young receivers competing with him for spots towards the bottom of New England’s depth chart.
Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams put themselves in solid position to make the team during the preseason. Undrafted rookie Efton Chism became one of the breakout stars of training camp, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns during the preseason. Javon Baker’s emergence on special teams helped land him a spot.
Ultimately, the Patriots moved on from Bourne. The 30-year-old receiver had been productive in Josh McDaniels’s offense before, but has missed 14 games over the past two seasons.
Bourne was healthy and expected to practice on Wednesday until the release was announced, Callahan said.
Bourne had 28 catches for 305 yards and a touchdown last season. He posted career highs of 55 catches, 800 yards, and five touchdowns in 2021 with the Patriots during McDaniels’s previous stint with the team.
In total, Bourne spent four seasons in New England with the last two largely hampered by injuries. He was on his way to one of the best seasons of his career in 2023 before a torn ACL cut his season short.
Bourne attended Eastern Washington, the same FCS school that Chism came from. He began his career with the San Francisco 49ers before signing with the Patriots as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season.
Now, it appears he’ll be heading elsewhere as the Patriots kick off a new era under coach Mike Vrabel in a couple of weeks.
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