New England Patriots wideout Kendrick Bourne threw shade at his former team the San Francisco 49ers when talking with the media on Tuesday.
Bourne, 26, spent his first four NFL seasons in the Bay Area and was asked to compare Bill Belichick’s training camp with other camps he’s been in.
“Well I’ve only been at one, obviously. My last team. But it’s definitely harder. We work harder here,” Bourne said. “I’m glad to be here, man.”
He was then asked if the Patriots have more structure at their training camp.
“Yeah, I think it’s just an overall better place for me,” he said.
It will be interesting to see what Kyle Shanahan has to say in response to his former player.
Bourne is coming off the best season of his career in San Francisco, after catching 49 passes for 667 yards last year. He had just two touchdowns last season, which was considered low for him after he caught four touchdowns in 2018 and five in 2019.
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The 49ers Lost Bourne to New England This Summer
The Niners lost Bourne, a key member of their receiving corps, to the Patriots on a three-year deal worth $22.5 million this offseason.
San Francisco originally signed Bourne out of Eastern Washington in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. He ended his rookie season with 16 catches for 257 yards in 11 games and really blossomed the following year.
The 49ers were bitten by the injury bug, forcing Bourne into a larger role. He posted a team-high 487 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 42 receptions. He soon became a reliable third-down and red zone option and out of 79 total catches in his last two seasons as a Niner, 58 of them went for either a first down or a touchdown.
In four NFL seasons thus far, Bourne has reeled in 137 of 218 targets for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns. Expect New England to take advantage of him as a No. 1 or 2 option this season.
49ers WR Tandem Is Among the Best Right Now, Per Peter King
The Niners have struggled to find a wideout who can produce 1,000 yards. In fact, they haven’t had one since Anquan Boldin in 2014.
However, that could change with two rising stars in the palm of their hands.
NBC Sports’ Peter King made his way to Santa Clara last week for the start of his tour of NFL training camps. And he was very impressed with the Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk combo, to say the least.
“There’s not five, six, seven teams in football who are going to be better than Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel outside,” King told NBC Sports Bay Area on 49ers Talk. “I mean, they’re really going to be pretty good.”
In his rookie year last season, Aiyuk caught 60 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. Samuel’s year was cut short with injuries but caught 57 passes for 802 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
2021 should be a big year for both wideouts, so go ahead Bourne, keep embarrassing yourself.
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Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Trolls 49ers’ Training Camp