Kendrick Bourne was named a potential target for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wide receiver isn’t a position that you would expect to be too high on the list of priorities for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team has some talented options at the position and has major needs elsewhere on the roster.
Still, they could decide they want to add another option at the position to try and give Kenny Pickett the best chance of succeeding in his third year in the NFL.
That option could be a starter from another team with a struggling young QB.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Ray Fittipaldo believes New England Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne could be a target for the Steelers during the 2024 offseason.
“You know, Bourne could be an interesting guy. Had some success in New England and you think, you know maybe there’s a little bit more meat on that bone because the offensie coordinator thing up there had been a circus for the last couple of years,” Fittipaldo said on the North Shore Drive podcast. “The quarterback situation hasn’t been good the last couple of years. So you think maybe get him into a different offense, maybe he could put up some stats.”
Bourne’s Interesting Few Years With the Patriots
Bourne had a bit of an odd stretch with the Patriots.
He was one of Mac Jones’ favorite targets during the QB’s rookie season. He made 55 catches for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns during his first season in New England.
In his second year with the team, he was expected to once again be a big part of the passing game.
He played just two snaps in the first game of the 2022 season.
The team’s owner wasn’t happy about it. According to a report after the game, Robert Kraft told the team’s coaching staff he wanted Bourne playing more.
He got 24 snaps the following week. Over the course of the year he worked his way up to regularly playing more than 50% of snaps every week, but his number still took a big hit.
In year two he only made 35 catches for 434 yards and 1 TD.
This past season, his role grew and he ended up playing 73% of the snaps in the games where he appeared.
Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just eight games.
In those eight games, Bourne made 37 catches for 406 yards and 4 TDs, setting career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns per game.
With his solid per game numbers and the expectation that he won’t be too expesive, Bourne could be a good fit for the Steelers.
