Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne stepped into a bigger-than-expected role for the San Francisco 49ers once. They may need him to do it again.
Bourne, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, is meeting with the 49ers on Monday after being released by the New England Patriots at final cuts.
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He becomes the latest in a long line of veterans the 49ers have tapped to fill in their depleted WR depth chart. Marquez Valdes-Scantling joined the practice squad with fellow veterans Robbie Chosen and Malik Turner. The 49ers also re-signed Russell Gage to their 53-man roster.
What separate Bourne from that group is his familiarity with the 49ers’ offense. They signed him in 2017 as an undrafted rookie and he spent his first four seasons in San Francisco before joining the Patriots in 2021.
Bourne played a consistent role as a third receiver for the 49ers, but in 2018 he wound up being their No. 1 WR when injuries struck at the position and limited Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis and Pierre Garçon to a combined 31 games.
San Francisco would be hoping for a similar contribution in 2025. He’d ideally slide into a No. 3 WR role alongside Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, but Jennings’s availability for the season opener is still up in the air while he deals with a calf injury and dissatisfaction with his contract. If Bourne at age 30 can step in and hold down the fort at WR until reinforcements come by way of Demarcus Robinson and Brandon Aiyuk, it could be a season-saving addition for the 49ers.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers to meet with former Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne