The electric wide receiver saw just two snaps in a 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
After an exciting first week of the NFL, New England Patriots fans find themselves in disbelief once again. Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots’ leading receiver in 2021, only had a total of two snaps against the Miami Dolphins.
Bourne had one catch for 41 yards against Miami. He had the second most receiving yards out of all of the New England receivers despite being present for only two snaps.
Bourne was signed before the 2021-2022 season on a 3-year, $15,000,000 contract. He recorded 55 catches on 70 targets for 800 total yards receiving. He also posted 15 touchdowns.
After the Patriots signed former Dolphins receiver Devante Parker, the order of the depth chart came into question. During training camp, Bourne had been struggling to maintain the number of targets he saw a season ago. His production in the offense hit a low point when he was kicked out of the joint practice against the Carolina Panthers for his involvement in a fight. In addition, Bourne didn’t receive a single pass in preseason.
Some recent reports claim that Bourne didn’t show up on time for a mandatory meeting before the preseason game against the Panthers. Given head coach Bill Belichick’s attitude towards players missing meetings, Bourne’s absence makes sense. After Bourne was interviewed in the locker room following the game against Miami, he explained how he needed to start gaining the coaches’ trust again. He claimed, “I’m just not giving the coaches what they need to see. I need to get better on my part.”
Whatever the situation might have been, the Patriots will need the production and the reliability Bourne has to offer. After the struggles at offense against the Dolphins, it is clear that they were missing Bourne’s electricity.
