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Kendrick Bourne reportedly agrees to one-year contract with 49ers
Bourne was cut by the Patriots prior to the start of the season.
Former Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne appears to have found a landing spot in a familiar home.
Bourne, 30, has agreed to a one-year contract with the 49ers worth up to $5 million, according to multiple reports.
The veteran wideout could find himself contributing quickly for the 49ers. As NFL insider Ian Rapoport noted in a tweet announcing the news, a Week 1 Jauan Jennings shoulder injury means Bourne could provide “some immediate help.”
Bourne was cut by the Patriots in late August as the team trimmed its roster. With a plethora of wide receivers on the depth chart, New England reportedly released Bourne at his request (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter) so that he could pursue playing time elsewhere.
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In addition, the Patriots considered trading Bourne to the Vikings, according to Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald, but the deal fell through.
Now, Bourne returns to San Francisco, a place where he began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Coming from Eastern Washington, Bourne made the team as a rookie, eventually establishing himself as a regular contributor in the Jimmy Garoppolo-led offense.
In 2021, Bourne left the 49ers in free agency for the Patriots on a three-year deal worth $15 million. In his first season with New England, he posted a career season: 55 catches for 800 yards with five touchdowns.
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Yet in subsequent seasons, Bourne failed to replicate his earlier success (hampered notably in 2022 by Bill Belichick’s bizarre decision to put former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in charge of the offense, a move that Bourne later called a “crazy choice.”)
After appearing to be on track for a resurgent season in 2023 — catching two touchdowns in the season-opener — Bourne’s year was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 8. In 2024, he managed to make a limited comeback, totaling 28 catches for 305 yards with one touchdown.
By 2025, Bourne was facing strong competition from a bevy of New England wideouts. His status was also hampered by nagging injuries. But now, according to Schefter, Bourne is “recovered from his foot sprain this summer, and he could play as soon as this week for the 49ers.”
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