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Free-agent receiver Kendrick Bourne, right, visited the 49ers but left without signing a contract.
The San Francisco 49ers are known to have interest in bringing back Kendrick Bourne, and the feeling may be mutual. But interest only goes so far.
After visiting San Francisco Monday, the free-agent receiver left the Bay Area without hammering home a deal with his old team.
And so, it’s onto the next for Bourne, who on Tuesday was scheduled to meet with the Washington Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bourne spent his first four NFL seasons with San Francisco (2017-20), appearing in 58 games with 13 starts. He had 137 catches for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns in a 49ers uniform.
Are the 49ers Interested in Kendrick Bourne?
The 49ers were interested enough in Bourne, 30, to bring him in for a visit. But that doesn’t guarantee anything.
The veteran wideout comes with questions about his health. Bourne missed most of Patriots training camp after injuring his foot Aug. 1. While Bourne made the initial 53-man roster, New England surprisingly released him a day later.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero provided more context into that decision, revealing Bourne had requested his own release.
“After missing most of camp with a foot injury, Bourne is healthy and wanted a fresh start. Now, he gets it and can find a new home,” Pelissero wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Bourne also missed part of the 2024 season after tearing his ACL in October 2023. In 12 games, Bourne had 28 catches for 305 yards and one touchdown.
Entering his fifth season in New England, Bourne looked to be a valuable veteran presence alongside Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas.
Is Kendrick Bourne Signing with the Commanders?
Bourne has yet to find a new home, but the Commanders certainly have an inside track on signing him. Bourne posted on Instagram Tuesday after landing at Washington Dulles International Airport.
The Commanders’ receiving corps is led by Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown and Deebo Samuel, Bourne’s teammate for multiple seasons with the 49ers.
Notably, Commanders general manager Adam Peters was also with them in San Francisco.
Could that factor into a deal? Whatever the case, Rapoport suggested that Bourne’s camp has already done lots of legwork on a proposed contract.
“Free agent WR Kendrick Bourne is visiting the 49ers on Monday and Commanders on Tuesday,” Rapoport wrote on X, citing a source. “The framework of a deal is in place for both — just in case.”
The Commanders kick off the season Sunday against the New York Giants, so a deal will need to come together quickly for Bourne to be available.
For his career, Bourne has 292 catches for 3,714 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour
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