The New England Patriots re-signed Kendrick Bourne this week to a contract that seemed quite steep for a player coming off knee surgery. However, the wide receiver will have to produce to earn most of the money.
Bourne and the Patriots agreed to a three-year deal that could be worth up to $33 million. The base value is $19.5 million, but only $5.5 million is fully guaranteed.
According to multiple reports, Bourne will receive $5.5 million next season no matter what, which is the majority of his $6.5 million base salary. Another $2.5 million for 2025 will become fully guaranteed if he has at least 800 receiving yards in 2024. Bourne has another $5 million in incentives for 2024 and $4 million in incentives in both 2025 and 2026.
That is about as team-friendly as it gets for the Patriots. The deal sounds much better than a three-year, $33 million contract for a player with only 840 receiving yards combined over the past two seasons.
Bourne signed a three-year, $15 million free-agent deal with the Patriots before the 2021 season. That year, he had 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns and helped Mac Jones make the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Bourne then ended up in Bill Belichick’s doghouse in 2022 before tearing his ACL in Week 8 last year.
The Patriots desperately need more production from their wide receivers, and they are reportedly trying to sign at least one top player at the position. Bourne will have plenty of financial incentive to produce in 2024.
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