A gesture by the New England Patriots caught the attention of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
The Patriots reportedly paid Mack Hollins a $400,000 incentive bonus even though he fell four receptions short of the statistical threshold required to trigger the payout. This goodwill move didn’t go unnoticed by the 49ers receiver.
Bourne, who earned $1.24 million in incentives this past season after recording 37 receptions for 551 yards while playing 57% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps, narrowly missed out on an additional bonus. According to Mike Masala of Niners Wire, Bourne fell eight receptions and 49 yards short of another incentive that would have netted him $750,000.
The veteran wideout took to social media to jokingly ask the 49ers if they might consider a similar gesture and pay out the missed bonus anyway.
While clearly tongue-in-cheek, Bourne’s post comes at an interesting time. The receiver is set to hit NFL free agency in the coming weeks, and both he and the 49ers have expressed interest in continuing their partnership into 2026.
“I’m trying to come back,” Bourne recently said on Richard Sherman’s podcast. “I talk to Kyle—you know Kyle—got a good relationship with him. We had a good exit meeting, so I’m trying to make it happen. That’s always the goal. San Francisco is home. And so, coming back, having a good year was powerful.
“So I’m trying to run it back. Money talks, but that’s just definitely home, so that’s holding a special place in my heart.”
The 49ers could theoretically bridge the gap by including the missed incentive money in a new contract. With Bourne approaching his 10th NFL season, he remains a steady depth option and is well-liked in the locker room. Over his career, he has totaled 329 receptions for 4,265 yards and 22 touchdowns.