Kendrick Bourne’s 2025 season has been nothing short of a full-circle moment - the kind of comeback arc that reminds you just how unpredictable and rewarding the NFL can be.
After being released by the New England Patriots in August, Bourne found himself at a crossroads. The release reportedly came as a surprise, even though Bourne had previously requested a trade. For a player who had carved out a productive role in New England, the sudden separation left him unsure of what came next.
“I didn’t know what to do…” Bourne wrote on Instagram this week, reflecting on that uncertain time. “Being back in the Bay has been a breath of fresh air!”
The veteran wideout returned to the San Francisco 49ers - the team that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent - on a one-year, $5 million deal signed on September 8. And since then, he’s quietly become a steadying force in a 49ers offense that’s had to weather its share of adversity.
Bourne’s Instagram post was accompanied by a track from his new music project Bourne Blessed, Vol. 1, giving fans a glimpse of both his mindset and his off-field creativity. He also shared a shoutout from Bay FC, part of the #BayAreaUnite campaign, where players from the NWSL club gifted him a postseason care package.
His response? “I gotta pull up to a game.”
Classic Bourne - always bringing energy, whether it’s on the field or in the community.
But make no mistake: Bourne’s focus is on the task ahead. With Brandon Aiyuk sidelined due to injury, the 49ers are turning to Bourne and Jauan Jennings to lead the receiving corps in Saturday’s Divisional Round showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. It’s a tall order, especially with All-Pro tight end George Kittle out after suffering a torn Achilles in the Wild Card win over the Eagles.
Still, Bourne isn’t blinking.
“There’s no fear, nothing,” he said this week. “We’ve got a team that wants this.
We created this opportunity. People doubting us, the world saying we shouldn’t even have won that last game.
This is what we live for.”
That edge - that chip on the shoulder - is something Bourne has carried his entire career. And now, with the postseason spotlight back on him, he’s embracing the moment.
“It’s kind of like it was already written,” he said. “For us to go to Philly and get a win and see [the Seahawks] again… we don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know teams are good.
Anybody can win. To be matched up against them again, division playoff game in their building, is what you live for.”
He’s not wrong. Lumen Field is no easy place to play, but it’s been friendly territory for quarterback Brock Purdy, who’s 4-0 in his career starts there.
And while the 49ers enter the game as 7-point underdogs, their offensive efficiency - especially without Kittle - will be critical. That means Bourne’s role becomes even more important.
Through 16 games this season, Bourne logged 37 catches for 551 yards - not gaudy numbers, but solid production for a veteran who’s been asked to do a little bit of everything. More than that, he’s brought leadership and poise to a receiver room that’s had to adjust on the fly.
Now, with the season on the line, Bourne is exactly where he wants to be: back in the Bay, playing meaningful football, and ready to prove - once again - that he belongs on this stage.