Kendrick Bourne didn’t suit up for the New England Patriots on Friday night, leading to a ton of speculation about his future with the team.
During his postgame press conference, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked why Bourne didn’t suit up against the Carolina Panthers. His response wasn’t very helpful.
“He wasn’t available,” Belichick told reporters.
Bourne was involved in a fight during joint practice with the Panthers this week. Perhaps that’s why he was listed as inactive for Friday’s game.
Belichick was later asked if Bourne will be available for the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I expect probably all of our players to be available this week with maybe the exception of Wilkerson,” Belichick replied. “We’ll see what happens, unless somebody walks in here with something today, but I think we should be pretty close with everybody. Hopefully. We’ll see how it goes.”
Last season, Bourne had 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
Bourne is under contract through the 2023 season. His spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster was considered a certainty a few weeks ago. It’s unclear if that has changed due to this incident.