Commanders' pursuit crushed as Kendrick Bourne picks NFC playoff rival

Adam Peters was looking to add another veteran wide receiver into the mix after taking through just five pass-catchers onto his 53-man roster. Unfortunately for the Washington Commanders, their preferred target has opted for a return to where it all began.

Kendrick Bourne visited the Commanders last week. He worked out for the coaches and probably discussed terms on a potential deal. The wideout, who was released by the New England Patriots after no willing trade partner could be found, also had a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, which comes with a strong emotional attachment.

The Niners took a chance on Bourne as an undrafted free agent. This allure, coupled with the promise of more playing time, resulted in the veteran choosing San Francisco over Washington when push came to shove.

Kendrick Bourne spurned Commanders' advances to join the 49ers

According to Adam Schefter from ESPN, Bourne is signing a one-year deal with the Niners that could be worth up to $5 million with incentives. That's a lot of money for someone who'd be no better than fourth or fifth option on Washington's depth chart, and few would begrudge him the chance to galvanize his career at the place where he rose from obscurity to become a decent performer.

Peters took his shot, but either the role or the money didn't work for Bourne. The Commanders' general manager will have contingency plans in place if he decides more is needed. But after watching Dan Quinn's squad comfortably beat the New York Giants in Week 1, the front-office leader might be content with what he has right now.

There is no need to force the issue. Bourne would have been a nice piece to acquire, but it wasn't to be. Peters will explore every possibility that is or could be available in the near future. Until then, the Commanders are more than happy to ride it out with Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel Sr., Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, and Luke McCaffrey.

Bourne gets the chance to carve out an important role for himself immediately. The Niners are desperately short at the receiver position. Ricky Pearsall was their most dependable option in Week 1. But with Jauan Jennings dealing with an injury and Brandon Aiyuk still working his way back from a long-term complication, San Francisco took drastic action.

Having Bourne would have been nice. But choosing the Niners was always the most likely outcome given his previous connection to the franchise.

It's not the end of the world. And if Peters is adamant about finding another receiver, he'll have a few more options up his sleeve if the situation dictates.