Patriots' Kendrick Bourne: Gets only $5.5 million guaranteed

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The Patriots have minimal commitment to Bourne (knee) beyond the 2024 season, despite re-signing the receiver Wednesday to a three-year contract worth up to $33 million, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.

The deal is loaded with incentives and light on guarantees, with a base value of $19.5 million and only $5.5 million guaranteed at signing. Another $2.5 million becomes guaranteed for 2025 if Bourne reaches 800 receiving yards in 2024, though the Patriots presumably would want to keep him around in that case anyway. The 28-year-old had a career-high 800 receiving yards in 2021, his first season with the Patriots, and he was on pace for 863 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 until an ACL tear cost him the final nine games. Bourne said in February that his rehab was ahead of schedule, and in early March he added that he expects to be a "full go" for training camp and Week 1. It's not yet clear who he'll be catching passes from or competing for targets with, apart from the likelihood of second-year wideout Demario Douglas and veteran tight end Hunter Henry getting significant playing time.