The New England Patriots are aiming to have a full receiving corps at Drake Maye's disposal for the rookie's first career NFL start in Week 6.

As the team prepares for its upcoming home game against the Houston Texans on Oct. 13, they announced wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is preparing to play in his second straight game, per Jordan Schultz. The eight-year veteran made his season debut in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins after missing the Patriots' first four games of the year.

As one of the older receivers of the team, Bourne figures to be a reliable target for Maye against the stingy Texans defense. In his limited return, Bourne ran just 10 routes per PlayerProfiler and caught one pass for six yards in his season debut.

Assuming he plays, Bourne would likely return to the starting lineup alongside Demario Douglas and rookie Ja'Lynn Polk. Despite playing in just eight games in 2023, the 29-year-old was third on the team with 406 receiving yards and second with four receiving touchdowns.

Patriots host Texans in Week 6

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In the first game of the new Drake Maye era, the Patriots will play the second game of their current three-game home stand against Houston. The Texans enter the contest with a 4-1 record and first-place standing in the AFC South, thus making them considerable favorites to beat the 1-4 Patriots.

Maye takes over under center after five listless performances from Jacoby Brissett, who has thrown for just 696 yards on the year. Brissett's lackluster yard total is accompanied by a mere 59 percent completion rate and two touchdowns. In his five starts, New England never topped 20 points and lost four straight games despite formidable performances from their defense.

Conversely, the Texans are led by a high-powered offense that has scored over 20 points in three of their five games on the year. However, the team will play without the NFL's leading receiver Nico Collins for the first time after the star wideout was placed on injured reserve. Collins scored on a 67-yard bomb from CJ Stroud against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.