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New England Patriots wideout Kendrick Bourne was having a great year on Bill Belichick's side. The Eastern Washington alum had amassed 406 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the season. He did this despite playing on one of the more disappointing Patriots sides of the past two decades.
However, Bourne's season has come to a screeching halt. In this piece, we will give you the latest injury update regarding the veteran pass catcher and his likely return date. So, without further ado, let's get to it.
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Kendrick Bourne injury update
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tore his hamstring in the Pats' most recent game. Hence, he will be out for the rest of the 2023 NFL season.
Since joining the New England Patriots, Kendrick Bourne has found a new lease of life, and he seems to be getting better with age. The veteran pass catcher had his best career year in 2021, as he put up a stat line of 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played. All of which were career highs.
He also had a decent season in 2022, racking up 434 in a reduced role with the Patriots. Bourne was well on track to beat all of his career highs this season, but unfortunately, he has gone down injured and is set to resume action at a much later date.
What happened to Kendrick Bourne?
During the New England Patriots' 31-17 defeat to the high-flying Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Bourne went down with an apparent knee injury early in the fourth quarter. That occurred after he caught a pass from QB1 Mac Jones.
Bourne was thrown on his back by veteran Miami defensive back Eli Apple. He immediately grabbed the clutch on the backside of his right knee and was subsequently ruled out of the game by the Patriots.
It now turns out that the injury was even worse than fans immediately feared. Bourne is set for an extended spell on the sidelines as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in that Week 8 tackle from Eli Apple.
When will Kendrick Bourne return?
The recovery date for anterior cruciate ligament injuries is notoriously hard to predict. The average recovery period for a torn ACL is between two to three months, and it takes a few more months for a high-level sportsperson to return to playing form following the injury.
To make matters dicier, Bourne is a wide receiver, and his positional group relies mostly on speed, cutting and explosiveness. Thus, it will take him some extra time to get up to speed with the rigors of the NFL upon recovery.
Hence, we expect Bourne to miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season but to be back in time for the 2024 season. Thankfully for Bourne, he looks to be in good shape, and he doesn't have an extensive injury record. Fingers crossed, he'll return to his post-injury form, as he remains an integral part of Bill Belichick's offense.
