4 Patriots Who Will Be Cut Without a Strong Second Half of Season
It's been a long 2024 season for the New England Patriots, who entered Week 11 with a 3-7 record — good for last place in the AFC East. It's been tough to find positives at times this season as the Patriots have struggled — especially on offense — however, those were the issues that were to be expected in a rebuilding year.
It hasn't been all bad, though, as a handful of Patriots have found ways to showcase their potential and prove that they deserve to be a part of the franchise's future plans. Conversely, other players have played poorly to the point where they might need a miracle to return in 2025.
With that in mind, let's look at four Patriots who must step up down the stretch if they don't want to be cut in the offseason.
1. Kendrick Bourne, WR
Kendrick Bourne was on track for a terrific 2023 campaign before a torn ACL prematurely ended his run. The ex-Eastern Washington receiver had tallied 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games, putting him on track for a career-best 79-864-9 stat line if he would've played all 17 games.
Even though the season didn't end as intended, the Patriots were impressed enough by Bourne's performance that they re-signed him to a three-year contract worth up to $33 million back in March. The belief was that the veteran playmaker could play a big role in quarterback Drake Maye's transition to the NFL level.
After a delayed start to the 2024 campaign, Bourne hasn't looked like he's worth that cost. The 29-year-old pass-catcher has only caught 8-of-14 targets (57.1%) for 70 receiving yards and two first downs without a touchdown. The situation reached an all-time low when Bourne was benched during Week 10.
With Bourne set to carry a $7.9 million cap hit next season, he has to find a way to prove that he's still worth that contract. Otherwise, the Patriots may consider parting ways given that they can free up at least $5.1 million in cap space by cutting or trade him in the offseason, per Spotrac.