Patriots Rumors: Kendrick Bourne Out for Season After Knee Injury in Loss to Dolphins

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne reportedly suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Bourne will miss the remainder of the 2023 season. He went down in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-17 loss after recording three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Bourne had been by far the best receiver on a struggling Patriots offense. The 28-year-old led the team in receptions (37), targets (55), receiving yards (406) and receiving touchdowns (4) without a close second in any category. Demario Douglas is the only other New England wideout to have at least 200 yards receiving.

"KB is a great teammate," quarterback Mac Jones told reporters Sunday. "Great friend of mine and does a great job coming to work every day and staying positive. I have a lot of love for KB. I hope he's OK. I didn't see him in there. Off the field, he's one of my best friends, honestly. I have a lot of respect for him, his family and everybody. So I hope he's OK."

Bourne will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so the timing of his injury could not be worse. He was likely looking at a decent payday on the open market propping up a bad Patriots receiving corps. Instead, he'll likely have to sign a one-year deal with a club that's willing to allow him to recover from knee surgery on company time.

The Patriots offense could ill-afford any injuries from their already floundering unit. JuJu Smith-Schuster, who scored a touchdown Sunday in his return from injury, will likely have to step up and take over the WR1 reins with Bourne out.

Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal with New England in the offseason but has been a surprising disappointment. He's made just 15 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown this season.