Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is set to hit free agency next month.
If Bourne re-signs in New England, don’t expect a deal to come much sooner than that.
According to a source, negotiations between the Patriots and Bourne have not advanced since the team approached his camp about re-signing shortly after the receiver tore his ACL in late October. Bourne visited the team facility on Thursday and Friday and is ahead of schedule with his recovery, per source. He is expected to be ready for the start of next season, according to the source, and draw strong interest from other teams, per NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
NFL free agency will officially open with a “legal tampering” period starting Monday, March 11. Bourne. It’s not uncommon for free-agent talks to heat up at the NFL combine — scheduled for next week in Indianapolis — or on the eve of free agency. However, Bourne is one of several internal free agents Patriots decision-makers are juggling, while they formulate a plan to rejuvenate their talent-starved roster.
Prior to hurting his knee last season, Bourne was on pace for a career year as the Pats’ No. 1 receiver. He finished with 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. He rebounded from a down season in 2022, when he caught 35 passes for 434 yards over 16 game appearances. Bourne broke out during his initial season with the Patriots, ranking second on the team with 800 yards and five touchdowns on 55 receptions.
The ex-49ers originally signed as a free-agent in 2021, inking a three-year, $15 million deal with a maximum value of $22.5 million. Bourne has publicly expressed a desire to remain in New England, where the Patriots are currently scheduled to hold the second-most cap space ($82.9 million) in the league heading into free agency. If Bourne fields multiple suitors, he figures to attract teams because of his ability to play both outside and in the slot, his experience learning multiple offensive systems and knack for gaining yards after the catch.
DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeMario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte are the Patriots’ only other receivers under contract. Together, with quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, the Pats averaged 180.5 passing yards per game last year, fifth-worst in the NFL.