What the 49ers Should Do with Free Agent Kendrick Bourne

Will they bring him back?

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The San Francisco 49ers have a decision to make when it comes to Kendrick Bourne this offseason. The veteran is due to hit free agency and while the 49ers can afford to bring him back, the question is whether they should or not. 

How does Kendrick Bourne fit into the San Francisco 49ers offseason plans?

If it were up to Bourne, he would likely be back on the 49ers next year. His best years came on the 49ers and in 2025 he had 551 yards, the best mark of his career since 2021. This is a player who was not on the roster to start the season.

Bourne fits the offense, the culture and the team. He is good to have on a wide receiver depth chart that is thin. At the same time, the 49ers have to think about how much they lean on Bourne this year. He is not a game-breaker and we saw that. 

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He was able to hold things down for a week or two, but with Ricky Pearsall out of the lineup the receivers were simply not good enough. Jauan Jennings is a free agent if the difference between signing him and letting him walk is the Bourne salary, then Bourne is gone. Beyond that, Brandon Aiyuk is gone, and if both of them are gone, the 49ers need to make serious adjustments to the wide receiver room.

That would mean signing a player in free agency who may be more dynamic than Bourne and drafting someone who can impact the team with early enough pick. If a rookie, veteran addition and Pearsall lead the way, the team will want a spot for Jordan Watkins and Demarcus Robinson is still signed. When you add in Skyy Moore will either be re-signed or replaced, it is hard to say there is a definitive roster spot for Bourne entering the season.

The 49ers will likely want to do what they did this offseason. They can go into training camp with some younger options, and if things fail, they can look to find Bourne again. If he signed with a new team, we already saw that he could get cut. If not, he may just be waiting for the 49ers to call.

The 49ers have to make sure they are deeper or more talented at wide receiver this offseason, but that may not mean Bourne is in their plans.