Patriots quarterback Mac Jones targeted Kendrick Bourne 70 times last season, connecting on 55 receptions, 800 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.
Jones might be excused, then, if he was one of the unnamed Patriots players who reportedly want Bourne to get more playing time, as the wide receiver’s mysterious benching continues. Bourne seems to be in Belichick’s doghouse after he was part of the skirmishes between the Patriots and Panthers during the preseason, a trend that continued during the Patriots’ 20-7 loss to the Dolphins in their season opener on Sunday. Bourne finally entered the game for the first time late in the fourth quarter and caught his only target of the afternoon — a 41-yard reception from Jones.