When the one and only roster cut deadline was nearing last month, it was beyond clear what some of the toughest decisions were going to be for the Patriots. Perhaps the most controversial was how they would narrow down the wide receiver room, as they had 11 rostered players for most of training camp and the preseason.
A few names were considered locks, mainly Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, and rookie Kyle Williams. But the rest of the group was far from that, no matter how tenured or experienced in the league they might have been.
It ultimately led to Kendrick Bourne being cut after the deadline, despite having been successful in Josh McDaniels' offense during the 2021 season, becoming one of the more shocking decisions by the Mike Vrabel regime to date.
It seemed like a missed opportunity for the team to trade one of their more valuable players, especially since it was quickly reported that several teams were interested in signing Bourne right when his release was announced. He met with two of those teams, the Commanders and the 49ers, and has since made an unexpected decision about his NFL future.
Kendrick Bourne is leaving us all hanging about his immediate NFL future will look like
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, no deals were signed between either team and Bourne this past week, and he is now expected to sit out Week 1 to continue weighing his options.
Free agent WR Kendrick Bourne has elected to sit this week out and weigh his options over the weekend and see which team is the best fit, source said. He recently visited the #Commanders and #49ers. pic.twitter.com/oviuiplEnY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2025
Whether that means he will inevitably sign with Washington or San Francisco is unclear, but it had been previously reported that contracts had been drawn up by both teams prior to their meetings. So it seems fair to assume nothing has changed other than where Bourne wants to play next.
While it makes sense he will want to take some time before deciding where he will move his family to next, it's also slightly unbelievable that he won't be on the field in Week 1 since he had interest from teams ready to get him in their game plan, especially a contender like the Commanders.
It will be interesting to see what he ultimately decides and if a new team enters the fold, potentially making a better offer. A lot can change in one week in the NFL, so it's certainly possible a better suitor could open the door by next week.