It has been mostly so far, so good for the Patriots roster during training camp regarding injuries, at least when discussing the seriousness of them. Some key players have tweaked some things over the course of the last two weeks, forcing most to leave practice early and miss a few days afterward.
That's the case with cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and according to Mike Vrabel, he will continue to miss some time as he deals with a leg injury. The good thing, however, is that he was present at training camp last week and on Monday morning, even if it was in street clothes, which is a great sign for what's to come.
Kendrick Bourne, on the other hand, has not been as fortunate. The wide receiver left last Friday's scrimmage early after appearing to hurt his leg. No updates had been provided until Vrabel spoke this morning, as he revealed Bourne shouldn't be expected back at practice this week.
Mike Vrabel issues injury updates to Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne and CB's Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis
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Besides the obvious hit this makes on the team's offense, it's also not great timing for Bourne, who is actively competing for a spot on the wide receiver roster for the upcoming season.
Kendrick Bourne is set to miss time from Patriots practice at the worst possible moment
Despite being the most tenured wide receiver on the team, Bourne went into this year's offseason with his job on the line. It's not necessarily because he has disappointed, but more about how an ACL injury suffered during the 2023 season didn't allow him back on the field until mid-season in 2024.
Before that, he was seemingly put in the doghouse by Matt Patricia, a notable defensive coordinator, who put him in the role of running the offense with little regard to how that would impact the players. Bourne was impacted the most, despite having a good season the previous year, which was actually the best of his career.
That is expected to be the case for his 2025 season if he makes the team because of the return of Josh McDaniels, who was the offensive coordinator in 2021. Bourne thrived under his tutelage, and that has made him perhaps the most excited of every player on the roster about his third stint at the position in New England.
It should make a big difference in Bourne's performance, and he could become a security blanket for Drake Maye on game day. But he will have a long way to go to make the roster now that he will miss at least the next week.