Veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has been on the chopping block for a few years with the Patriots, and he is finally getting a change of scenery. On Wednesday, shortly after the Patriots finalized their official 53-man roster for the 2025 season, Bourne was released by New England and is a free agent.
The Patriots had been trying to find a trade partner for Bourne during this preseason, but they failed to do so and were forced to let him go for nothing. The Minnesota Vikings were one team that was linked to Bourne, but they ended up reuniting with veteran wideout Adam Thielen instead.
While the Patriots have no desire to keep Bourne around and the Vikings opted to go in a different direction, there will still be some teams in the market for a veteran wideout who has a lot of talent and has flashed that at times during his career. With Week 1 on the horizon and everyone trying to maximize their weaponry on offense, it won't be long before Bourne gets scooped up.
The 30-year old spent the first four seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers before playing with the Patriots for the last four years. He has never been a true star, but he has always been a quality piece of a wide receiver room. In those eight seasons, Bourne has 292 catches for 3,714 yards and 22 touchdowns. He will likely be a cheap option on the open market that teams will be going after.
Here are three landing spots that make sense for Bourne now that he is officially a free agent.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have undergone a total makeover on offense this offseason after a dreadful 2024 season that involved a whole lot of Aidan O'Connell and not a whole lot of successful runs. Now, Las Vegas has brought in Geno Smith to fix the passing game centered around Brock Bowers and drafted Ashton Jeanty in the top 10 to try and get some pop on the ground.
While Bowers will be the focal point for the Raiders through the air, he still needs some wideouts on the perimeter to open up the middle of the field for him so he can go to work. Jakobi Meyers has requested a trade, but for now he is still the best wideout on the roster for Pete Carroll and company.
The Raiders also made a move to bring in veteran Amari Cooper on a one-year deal to help solidify that room, but there still isn't much depth there. Tre Tucker should get some snaps and rookie fourth-round pick Dont'e Thornton Jr. has had a great camp, but another body would not hurt in the slightest.
Adding a veteran like Bourne who can move around the formation and eat some snaps and targets for this Raiders squad could help open things up for Bowers to take a majority of the targets. That is a signing that the Raiders should seriously consider making.
San Francisco 49ers
A reunion with the San Francisco 49ers could also be in the cards for Bourne as Kyle Shanahan looks to get his offense back to the top of the NFL and get the 49ers back to the top of the NFC. However, the group of weapons on the outside around Brock Purdy has deteriorated, and Bourne could be just what San Francisco needs to get back to that point.
This will be the first season without Deebo Samuel in San Francisco during this era after the team traded the gadget player to the Washington Commanders this offseason, so that is one key body that needs to be replaced. On top of that, Brandon Aiyuk isn't going to be ready for Week 1 while he continues to recover from his torn ACL, and Jauan Jennings still isn't practicing as he works his way through both a calf injury and a contract dispute.
Jennings is still expected to be on the field in Week 1, but there is still a big-time need for depth on this roster. Demarcus Robinson was brought in this offseason, but he is suspended for the first three games of the season. On Wednesday, the 49ers signed Marquez Valdez-Scantling, and he and Ricky Pearsall should see immediate reps.
San Francisco also traded for Skyy Moore during the preseason, but he is far from reliable in just about every aspect of the position. Bourne would be a big upgrade in that department and is someone that 49ers should look at bringing back after he spent the first four years of his career in the Bay Area.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are another team that has had a bit of a makeover on offense, shifting to a more run-first approach with a new identity of physicality. Aaron Glenn is in as head coach and Justin Fields is in as the new quarterback to replace Aaron Rodgers, which should implement a ground-first mindset into the offense.
Fields is still limited in the passing game, and when he does throw the ball he will be looking at his old Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson first and foremost. However, the defenses know that too, so the Jets will need some more bodies to eat some targets.
Bourne has the ability to come into New York and start right away in a receiver room that is very shallow. Malachi Corley didn't make the 53-man roster, and Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are the current listed starters. Georgia product Arian Smith has had a great camp, but he isn't a finished product and struggled with a lot of drops during his time in college.
A well-rounded receiver like Bourne would be a big boost to this Jets receiver room, and it would take away the feeling that they are one injury away from being in some real trouble. As a cheap flyer, Bourne would be a good addition in the Big Apple.
