FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Regardless of what’s happening, Kendrick Bourne always remains very positive, and that’s something the New England Patriots have relied on this season.
But last week, tested him a little bit.
Bourne didn’t play a single snap on Sunday, despite being listed as active prior to the game.
“It’s tough,” Bourne said. “You want to play. You want to compete.
The veteran receiver is a clear fan favorite in New England, so he took some time to speak with A to Z Sports on Wednesday, relaying an important message to his supporters who want to see him back out on the field soon.
“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.”
The reason for the benching was because the coaching staff prioritized playing time for the younger players. So, Bourne proved himself to be a true leader throughout the game.
He still was all smiles on the sideline, cheering his teammates on at every moment. And he credits his experience in the NFL with preparing him for this adversity.
“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.”
And with that, he was ready to go in if the team needed him at any moment.
“Just staying ready. I was suited up. It wasn’t like I was down. So at any point, I could have went in the game,” he added. “So just about staying in tune with the game, seeing what’s going on, and just being there for all my guys.”
It’s that positivity that allows him to focus on the future rather than staying in the past.
“I don’t think I’ve played terrible, but I can definitely play better,” he said. “There’s never a perfect game, there’s never a perfect practice, there’s never a perfect season. So I think just rolling with the punches and getting better as I go.”
Plus, he has a very important member of the team on his side too.
“I think KB, first of all he’s a great teammate and great leader on this team. You’re gonna see KB more. You’re definitely gonna see him again throughout the rest of the season,” rookie quarterback Drake Maye said on WEEI. “So, excited to have him out there. I think he had nice catches against Tennessee.”
Having that support from his quarterback means so much to the veteran receiver.
“It’s awesome. We had built a little connection that last game in Tennessee, which was great,” Bourne explained. “Going into that game, I felt confident. I still could have run better routes. I still could have done things better, but I think I just wanted to win routes. I feel like the rust was off a lot more.”
“He cares about all of us,” he added. “He knows what’s going on, and just supporting me says a lot and builds my confidence. I got his support.”
Leave a Reply