FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne’s nonstop energy and good-spirited nature has a way of uplifting those around him.
No. 84 is always at 10.
But something happened to Bourne over the past eight months -- perhaps the best offseason of his seven-year NFL career -- that taught him the importance of turning the switch off at times.
He credits his wife, Vanessa, for opening his mind to that.
“She helped me slow down in everything in my life,” Bourne explained. “She taught me to take care of my body. She is very active, working out, her nutrition is great, so she’s helped me stop eating McDonald's and all that fast food and everything. She was that last piece.”
The results have been showing up on the practice field, and most recently in the Patriots’ 21-17 preseason victory over the Packers. Bourne had a team-high three receptions for 34 yards in Saturday’s game in addition to a physical block to help spring Rhamondre Stevenson’s 23-yard run in the first quarter.
Bourne’s final reception, a 17-yard delivery from quarterback Mac Jones, saw him elevate over the middle and snatch the ball in impression fashion.
What a catch, KB!
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Plays like those explain why coach Bill Belichick said of Bourne: “He had a good spring. That spring led into having a good training camp. He’s done very well in all phases of the game -- played multiple spots, caught the ball well, blocked well.”
As a result, Bourne has reemerged as a critical part of the Patriots’ wide receiver corps. He joins veterans DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster in a clear-cut top three, followed by 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton (currently sidelined with an undisclosed injury) and 2023 sixth-round picks Demario “Pop” Douglas and Kayshon Boutte.
Last year at this time, when the Patriots had installed a new offense and Belichick assigned longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia to carry out his offensive vision, Bourne’s place on the team was trending in the opposite direction.
That ultimately showed up in a disappointing season in which he totaled 35 catches for 434 yards and one touchdown. The prior year, his first in New England, Bourne had amassed a career-high 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
“Last year, what I went through, it was a struggle for me personally,” he said. “I was going through a lot, not doing the right things, I wasn’t taking care of my body, I wasn’t getting treatment. It taught me what not to do in a sense. It was rough, but I’m thankful for last year.”
He and Vanessa mapped out a plan for a “no shortcuts” approach to the offseason. A significant part would focus on rehabilitation.
“I think that was the most critical for me, just taking care of my body after I work out so I could be able to work out stronger the next day,” he said. “My rehab process was much better than I’ve ever done it.”
Bourne, 28, combined that with a disciplined workout regimen at Grind Time in his native Portland, Oregon, directed by his longtime athletic trainer, Aaron Woods.
They focused on upper-body strength on Mondays and Thursdays, lower-body strength on Tuesdays and Fridays and core work on Wednesdays. Bourne described it as a “full week to get our bodies ready to endure the season.”
He was joined by Green Bay Packers receiver Samori Toure, Cincinnati Bengals tight end Devin Asiasi and Washington Commanders tight end Cole Turner.
There was no question which player set the tone for the group.
“Even days when I didn’t feel like working out, he brings my energy up and it’s contagious,” said Toure, highlighting Bourne’s route-running ability as one of his assets as a player. “His demeanor, he’s going to be the same Kendrick every day.”
That has shown up in Patriots training camp, where one day Belichick approached him after the team’s initial stretching period and joked with Bourne -- who had been dancing to the music thumping from the speakers at practice -- that he was already drenched in sweat.
The scene reflected some positive momentum Bourne has built leading into the Patriots’ regular-season opener against the visiting Eagles on Sept. 10 (4:25 p.m., CBS).
“Better sleeping, nutrition, rehabbing -- all the little things,” Bourne said. “I’ve found the sauna has helped me a lot, which I never believed in until I started to get in there and it helped the soreness. Getting massages all the time.
“Now my body is able to endure more, and as I get older, I understand I need to do more. I should have been doing this my whole life, but I definitely feel the best I’ve ever felt and I’m happy about it.”