Kendrick Bourne suffers torn ACL, will miss remainder of season
The New England Patriots have lost wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for the remainder of the 2023 NFL Season because of an ACL tear, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
Bourne was the Patriots top pass-catcher. In eight games, he caught 37 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns. Bourne led the team in all three of those categories.
The 28-year-old was off to the best season of his career. Unfortunately, he will not have the opportunity to play out the entire season.
This injury will likely cost Bourne. The veteran wide receiver is in a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. An ACL tear will place a massive red flag next to his name in free agency.
The Patriots are left in a rough position to end the year. At 2-6, they have been a massive disappointment all season. Now, they are without their top pass catcher, which does not bode well for a team that has faced offensive struggles.
The Patriots will now look for increased production from the rest of the pass catchers. That leaves the Patriots depending on a group that includes Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas, among others. That is not a group that provides a ton of optimism.
To be optimistic, this could be an opportunity for the Patriots to get Douglas more involved. The rookie has shown some flash early in his career.
Regardless of how the Patriots approach the remainder of the 2023 season, Bourne’s injury holds them back from finding success on offense. That spells disaster for a team that averages the second-fewest points per game.
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