Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Challenging Teammates With 2022 Goals
First, Kendrick Bourne bought his parents a house. Now, he's selling his teammates a challenge.
The New England Patriots wideout has some lofty on-field expectations for himself in 2022. After posting 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns in his first season in New England, Bourne wants to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his five-year NFL career.
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
AP Photo/Steven Senne
Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY
Bourne spent the first four seasons in San Francisco, where his best season was in 2020 with 49 catches for 667 yards. Last season's 800 receiving yards was the closest he's ever come to the NFL receiver benchmark of 1,000.
Bourne might have his work cut out for him since Patriots wideouts aren't known for their impressive statistical accomplishments. New England hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Tom Brady left town.
While announcing his personal expectation for 2022 on social media, Bourne tagged teammate and fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers as a challenge to join him in the 1,000-yard club.
That challenge for Bourne and Meyers would be even more difficult since two Patriots receivers haven't hit 1,000 yards in the same season since 2017 when tight end Rob Gronkowski and wideout Brandin Cooks accomplished that feat behind Brady's NFL MVP season.
New England just added another wideout who wants in on the action. Devante Parker posted a reply to the Bourne's social media post:
"Just save me some and we good😂," Parker joked in the replies.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
(Cred: Boston Herald)
Personal goals are always encouraged, especially in sports, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't one that pushes personal stats above team accomplishments, making things that much more difficult. And then there's second-year quarterback Mac Jones. Will there be enough balls to go around next season?
Other Patriots receivers who might have something to say about all of this are Nelson Agholor and N'Keal Harry. But Agholor was disappointing in his New England debut last season with just 473 yards on 37 catches, and Harry is skipping the start of the Patriots offseason workouts and his future with the team is in question.
