FOXBOROUGH, Mass – After Sunday’s game, Kendrick Bourne was more motivated than ever.
The veteran wide receiver was benched in the win over the Bears, to prioritize playing time for the younger player. But some of that also had to do with how he has played since returning.
So how has Bourne bounced back after the benching?
“Kendrick has had a good week of practice, and sometimes you need — I don’t want to call it a wakeup call, but to go out there and be active and not have any snaps,” New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said. “He’s a driven individual, and he’s a very good player. Just have to get him going.”
Mayo also said that the expectation is for Bourne to be active and play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Earlier this week, Bourne spoke with A to Z Sports about what had happened. And he remained as positive as ever.
“Yeah, I’ve known, being undrafted, being from the bottom, I’ve experienced it before, so it’s not new to me. It’s just a blessing from God to build up a career,” he explained. “So when I see young guys that I want to support, and I want to see get to where I’m at, it’s awesome to see them have the opportunity to build their career.
“So I understand and don’t look at it as why me or anything. It’s what do I do? How do I stay positive?… I still have a lot to work for, play for. And I believe my opportunity will come again. I know it will and just want to be ready for it and take advantage of it more than I did these last few games.”
The fan-favorite also took a moment to send a message to the fans.
“Be patient. It’s going to come together,” Bourne explained. “The coaches have a plan, they have a process. And I’m one one of those guys that I understand it, and you all need to understand too.”
And when he does get out on the field, here’s what he is looking forward to showing.
“I just want to make contested catches, just getting open, consistently blocking, and just making every play count,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been putting my best foot forward, but now just making every single play count.”
Sunday will be his time to shine.
