The Washington Commanders left with a win in Week 1 against the New York Giants, but the offense did struggle at times. Adam Peters reached out for some last-minute help for Jayden Daniels, and he's been waiting on this player to make a decision.
After bringing him in for a visit and offering him a contract, free agent wide receiver Kendrick Bourne wanted to take some time to decide between the Commanders and his former team, the San Francisco 49ers.
Well, we finally got an answer from Bourne after the first week of the season, and his decision may not be a bad thing for the Commanders' offense.
After watching the first week of games, Bourne had to decide between rejoining Peters and Deebo Samuel, or going back to the 49ers to give them some much-needed help, and he saw the 49ers as a better opportunity for him.
FA WR Kendrick Bourne is returning home to the San Francisco #49ers on a 1-year deal with a max value of $5M, per agent @HenryOrgann and @Agent_Big_Al of @disruptivesport. pic.twitter.com/f9Vb7pnDRV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2025
The 49ers have been one of the most injured teams in the league, especially on offense, and saw the 49ers as the team where he can have the most opportunities on the field and make a difference. WR Jauan Jennings is dealing with a shoulder injury, Brandon Aiyuk is still out for who knows how many more weeks, and TE George Kittle also suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday.
Bourne will likely see the field as a starter for the 49ers and try to help out Ricky Pearsall, who is pretty much the last man standing. His decision not to sign with the Commanders may not be a bad thing, though, but instead shows that he feels like his opportunities would be limited in Washington, and he's probably right.
The offense did look a little rusty to start the season, but we saw Jayden Daniels spread the ball around to seven different targets on Sunday. Terry McLaurin will get back in the groove soon, but Deebo Samuel stepped up in a major way as the top weapon by a wide margin with 10 targets from Daniels.
Deebo Samuel looked VERY good in his debut for the Commanders
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 8, 2025
such a good fit in this offense. Screens, in-breakers and benders. Plenty of stuff off motion and stacks.
got his hands on two more near completions for nice gains
WR5 in Week 1 scoring pic.twitter.com/GdPEYA7tPE
Behind Samuel leading the team in catches, yards, and targets, Daniels hit other targets throughout the game that showing their depth can produce. Chris Moore shockingly had the longest reception of the game on a 34-yard dime from Daniels that he caught as he dragged his toes to secure the catch. Noah Brown, Zach Ertz, Jaylin Lane, and even the running backs got involved as well. The Commanders' youth stepping up more would go a long way with Lane and Luke McCaffrey.
Bourne would probably be WR5 for the Commanders, and he doesn't even know the offense like he does with Kyle Shanahan's scheme. He made the right call, going with the 49ers.
A big factor will be Browns' health, as he played in 47% of snaps on offense while recovering from his knee injury, but the Commanders' depth will be fine without Bourne. If someone does go down, they will call Moore back up from the practice squad or bring in another free agent like Gabe Davis.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!