Kendrick Bourne injury update: Patriots wide receiver suffered torn ACL against Dolphins, per report

The New England Patriots have lost their most productive pass catcher for the remainder of the season. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne suffered a torn ACL during the team’s loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, as first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Bourne had caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown when he went down on the first play of the fourth quarter. Initial hope was that he only suffered an MCL injury, but an MRI conducted on Monday morning confirmed the severity of the ailment.

Bourne, 28, was in the middle of a productive season for the Patriots. Leading the team in receptions (37), receiving yards (406) and touchdowns (4), he was able to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 campaign to return to the levels of play he showcased one season prior, in his first year in New England.

Now, however, he is headed into an uncertain future. Not only is he set to miss the remainder of the year and facing a six-to-eight month recovery, he also will head into unrestricted free agency next March off a major injury.

With Bourne out, the rest of the Patriots’ wide receiver depth will be asked to step up. Rookie Demario Douglas and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster appear to be the next men up on the inside, with DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte also part of the current position group.