Patriots News: Kendrick Bourne, Mac Jones, and 2024 NFL draft update

The news that continues to flow out of New England this season seems to remain unfavorable, which doesn't make a losing season any easier to digest. That pattern continued in Week 8 against the Dolphins on Sunday, when more injuries to key players piled up, and more questions about the roster arose.

Typically, as a New England fan, you acknowledge the loss and quickly look ahead to what is next on the schedule, which happens to be the Commanders next Sunday.

But it's not easy to look ahead when the future seems so bleak, especially when a guy like Kendrick Bourne goes down with an injury that could be bad news for the receiver and the team.

Kendrick Bourne suffers potentially significant injury

The injury bug has not left Foxboro, or wherever in the country the Patriots are playing, as more and more injuries continue to pile up during every game.

This time, a few players left the game and did not return against the Dolphins: Ja'Whaun Bentley, Kendrick Bourne, and DeVante Parker. Other than the obviously missed flag on a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit on Parker that resulted in what presumably was a concussion, Bourne went down with a knee injury that didn't look good right away.

The second he hit the ground, the receiver immediately grabbed his knee, an indication that it was more than just a bruise or something minor.

After the game, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the team believes Bourne suffered an MCL injury, and there is an MRI scheduled for Monday to evaluate and determine what exactly is injured. It's a massive blow to Bourne, who was on the path to having one of the best seasons of his career, and to the offense, as he quickly became the most reliable weapon for Mac Jones over the last several weeks.

After another tough loss to Miami in Week 8, where Bourne was the leading receiver, it's hard to imagine how the offense will be able to get much done without him on the field.

UPDATE AS OF MONDAY MORNING:

Bourne will now miss the rest of the season after reportedly suffering an ACL tear. The receiver was playing on the last year of his contract with New England and will now enter free agency at the end of the season.

Considering the Patriots only have DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster signed next year as far as veteran receivers go, Belichick should absolutely re-sign Bourne as he is on pace to have the best season of his career in 2023. He continues to be one of the most productive players on the offensive roster.