Relentlessly optimistic Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne is proving that patience pays off

If there are two kinds of people in the world – those who see the glass half empty and those who see it half full – Bourne falls into a rare third category, as someone who sees the glass constantly overflowing.

“I always think of the best case scenario,” he says. “The best case. Always. That’s kind of how my mind works. Really.”

Those around the Patriots on a daily basis can tell you that Bourne’s enthusiasm is not performative. It’s very real.

“Every day he says something funny or makes someone laugh or something,” rookie receiver Javon Baker said. “He brings that to the team. That’s what we need in this team, someone you can laugh with and always joke with.”

“Even if I’m having a bad day at home, if something has gone wrong, I’m not going to try to bring it up here,” Bourne said. “If my teammate next to me is a little down, I try to encourage him.”

Bourne’s optimistic approach comes from a number of different places. First, he said, it is a result of his faith. And second, there’s a veteran’s perspective on the game. He’s seen the highs and lows of life in the NFL, fighting to make San Francisco’s roster as an undrafted rookie but ultimately catching 30 passes as part of a 49ers team that reached Super Bowl LIV.

Bourne, who led the Patriots with 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns when he was injured last year, has become the de facto leader of a group of young receivers still finding their way in the NFL.

“When I was younger and didn’t get drafted, it taught me a lot about waiting my turn and biding my time,” said Bourne, who had a career-high 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns. “And I think the more patient you can be, the better the perspective is. And the result is that you are prepared.”

This isn’t to say that Bourne doesn’t have bad days. The rehabilitation process had a difficult start; he literally had to start walking and go from there. He opened this season on the physically unable to perform list.

And more than a year after his knee hit the turf in Miami, he’s still trying to find the burst he had as a younger player, one of the reasons he has just 13 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown just shy of the center line. point of the season.

He is also fully aware that personnel decisions do not always work in his favor; much was made of it the decision to leave him behind during the recent 19-3 win over the Bears. With anyone else on the 53-man roster, there would be concerns about his head space and his buy-in going forward.

But teammates and coaches praised Bourne for the way he handled thingsand his patience was rewarded with his best performance of the season against the Rams, a game in which he caught five passes for 70 yards and scored his first touchdown in more than a year.

“Just to see him come back here after what he went through and setback after setback, the way he left and came back, he balled,” teammate DeMario Douglas said. “Shout out to him.”

“He responded great,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “He’s just a guy who… it doesn’t matter what position you’re talking about. There is nothing more important than practice and going out there and performing at a high practice level. “I would say he had a great week of training and that reflected in the match.”

“I’ve had a good week,” Bourne said. “I think we all had a good week. That gives us a chance to win. We all had pretty much the same approach, so I’m just one of the guys in the bunch playing my part. I’m just trying to get better so I can contribute to the team.”

Now, on the eve of a return to Miami – where his career almost came to a halt – the veteran is once again looking at the positives. The best-case scenario this week? It’s not just a chance to erase some bad memories, it’s a chance to write a new chapter and make a statement against an AFC East opponent.

“No matter what happens, when something bad happens, I remind myself that eventually something good will come out of it,” Bourne said. “It’s hard to do – it’s not easy. But I’ve taught myself over the years that this is the best way to approach it.”

Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe.