The 2025 NFL season is almost here, and one of the biggest questions surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is the status of their wide receiver room.
Even ignoring Deebo Samuel's offseason departure, the 49ers' WR situation has seen better days. Injuries have eviscerated the unit, as Jacob Cowing and Trent Taylor are on injured reserve, Brandon Aiyuk is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, and Demarcus Robinson is suspended for three games. That's without mentioning that Russell Gage and Jordan Watkins also missed practice time throughout this week.
The injury-riddled WR depth chart has left 49ers fans clamoring for a reunion with former wideout Kendrick Bourne. The Portland, OR native was released by the New England Patriots earlier this week and would look good back in the Bay, where he played his first four NFL seasons.
But as much as a reunion makes sense, one obstacle could prevent that from happening.
49ers Lynch on WR Kendrick Bourne
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 28, 2025
“No new news. Anytime a really good football player who we had ties to –Kendrick started his career here– there’s going to be discussions. Kendrick’s been hurt, so trying to see where he’s exactly at. Having conversations. We’ll to look into it”
49ers GM John Lynch Says Health is Top Obstacle to Sign Kendrick Bourne
On Thursday, 49ers general manager John Lynch was asked about potentially reuniting with Bourne. Although Lynch admitted that he's open to the idea, he revealed that there's "no new news" because San Francisco wants to be certain about its ex-WR's health first, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
"Anytime a really good football player who we had ties to — Kendrick started his career here — there's going to be discussions," Lynch said. "Kendrick's been hurt, so (we're) trying to see where he's at. Having conversations. We'll look into it."
Having joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie, Bourne has since developed into a legitimate NFL player. Unfortunately, his injury history has prevented him from consistently meeting his potential, as he has only played a full slate of games once in the last five seasons, including 14 missed games over the past two seasons alone.
Nevertheless, a cheap "prove yourself" contract with Bourne is a low-risk, high-reward move that the 49ers shouldn't ignore. The 30-year-old WR was a solid threat throughout four seasons with the Patriots, hauling in 155 balls for 1,945 receiving yards and 11 touchdown grabs in 53 games. He also drew a passer rating of 105.7 when targeted last season despite his injury situation, proving that he can be a solid option for quarterback Brock Purdy.
A San Francisco reunion is mutually beneficial, at the end of the day. The signing would instantly give the 49ers a former 400-yard receiver, while also offering Bourne a chance to prove himself so that he can land a bigger payday in the offseason. And if things don't work out, it isn't like Lynch had to break the bank for a deal.
With how desperate some teams can be to add WRs once injuries pop up during the season, the 49ers would be wise to sign Bourne sooner rather than later.