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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne opened up about being released by the New England Patriots before the 2025 season.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Bourne admitted that things were going to be different when the team hired Mike Vrabel over Jerod Mayo. He also admitted that he was "bummed" about leaving before the start of the season.
“I knew what Drake [Maye] was gonna be. I knew where the team was going after experiencing OTAs with Vrabes, experiencing camp with Vrabes. I'm like, 'Bro, we're gonna be good.' You could tell," said Bourne. "From going from [Jerod] Mayo and what we did in camp, no knock to Mayo. He just wasn’t ready. And then going to Vrabes, it was like, bro, you could just tell the structure was just different. How we studied, how we met, and different things. That’s what ultimately made me bummed about it. It was like, man, I knew where these guys were going. And so it was just really tough, man, and I was absolutely sad.”
Bourne was a key free-agent acquisition for the Patriots in March 2021.
He immediately became a dependable receiver for the team, recording 155 catches for 1,945 yards and 11 touchdowns over the course of 53 games. His best season came in 2021, when he recorded 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
He admitted that he asked for his release after being offered the veteran's minimum by the Patriots. The veteran wideout loved New England and wanted to stay, but he didn't want to get stuck at a lower price point. He was ultimately granted his release, which opened the door for him to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.
Bourne had a solid bounce-back year in San Francisco with 37 receptions for 551 yards on the season. With that said, one has to wonder how he would have done under Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels if he never left.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Ex-Patriot tells hard truth in Jerod Mayo, Mike Vrabel comparison
Continue reading...
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Bourne admitted that things were going to be different when the team hired Mike Vrabel over Jerod Mayo. He also admitted that he was "bummed" about leaving before the start of the season.
“I knew what Drake [Maye] was gonna be. I knew where the team was going after experiencing OTAs with Vrabes, experiencing camp with Vrabes. I'm like, 'Bro, we're gonna be good.' You could tell," said Bourne. "From going from [Jerod] Mayo and what we did in camp, no knock to Mayo. He just wasn’t ready. And then going to Vrabes, it was like, bro, you could just tell the structure was just different. How we studied, how we met, and different things. That’s what ultimately made me bummed about it. It was like, man, I knew where these guys were going. And so it was just really tough, man, and I was absolutely sad.”
Bourne was a key free-agent acquisition for the Patriots in March 2021.
He immediately became a dependable receiver for the team, recording 155 catches for 1,945 yards and 11 touchdowns over the course of 53 games. His best season came in 2021, when he recorded 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
He admitted that he asked for his release after being offered the veteran's minimum by the Patriots. The veteran wideout loved New England and wanted to stay, but he didn't want to get stuck at a lower price point. He was ultimately granted his release, which opened the door for him to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.
Bourne had a solid bounce-back year in San Francisco with 37 receptions for 551 yards on the season. With that said, one has to wonder how he would have done under Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels if he never left.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Ex-Patriot tells hard truth in Jerod Mayo, Mike Vrabel comparison
Continue reading...
