After months of stalled talks, the Patriots have offered impending free-agent wide receiver Kendrick Bourne a contract, per source.
Bourne received his offer before the NFL Scouting Combine, when league sources told the Herald the veteran wideout should have strong interest if he hits free agency on March 11. According to one source familiar with the wide receiver market, if the Pats do not re-sign Bourne, history indicates they might lose him to a division foe.
The Jets were among the teams that showed interest in Bourne over the last 18 months, when a Patriots source said their front office received trade calls at the end of training camp in 2022 and 2023. The Pats told those teams, including the Raiders and Rams, that Bourne was not available and kept him through his ACL tear late last October. Prior to signing with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, Bourne also received interest from the Bills and Texans, per source.
Two front-office executives, one in the AFC and another in the NFC, projected Bourne will eventually sign a new contract with an average annual value around $7 million. It’s unclear whether he will land a multi-year contract or 1-year deal often forced upon injured players.
According to a source, the Patriots initially approached Bourne about a possible extension shortly after he tore his ACL. The 28-year-old is ahead of schedule in his rehab and tracking to be ready for Week 1. Bourne visited the team facility two weeks ago for a checkup on his progress and met with team leadership, per sources.
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.
He originally signed a 3-year, $15 million contract as a free agent in 2021, a deal that included another $7.5 million in incentives. The ex-49er has publicly expressed a desire to remain in New England, where the Patriots hold the most cap space in the league at $101.7 million, per Over The Cap.
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“That is a goal of mine. I love being a Patriot — it’s a great environment for a person like me,” Bourne told ESPN last month. “Being a Patriot helped me grow into the player I am today. I’m thankful for the organization, but you never know. I’ve been in free agency before and I didn’t know what would happen. And I don’t know now.”
Miami is another team to watch, based on its coaching staff’s ties to Bourne. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (2017-20) and receivers coach Wes Welker (2019-20) worked with Bourne in San Francisco during his first years in the league. Miami is believed to be pursuing a viable No. 3 receiver who can complement starters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, while backups Cedrick Wilson Jr., Chase Claypool and Braxton Berrios all hit free agency.
It’s common for negotiations between teams and player agents to heat up around the NFL Combine, when executives, coaches and agents all descend on Indianapolis for several days. A source told the Herald’s Doug Kyed that the Patriots also recently extended an offer to impending free-agent safety Kyle Dugger. His future remains uncertain in a market that should eventually yield a new deal between $12 million to $16 million annually.
The Pats’ other top free agents include offensive tackles Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu, tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki and outside linebacker Josh Uche.
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 offense averaged 180.5 passing yards per game last year, fifth-worst in the NFL. The Patriots are expected to add new quarterbacks this offseason and recently met with the top passers in this year’s draft: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix.