Kendrick Bourne Injury: Latest On Status Of Patriots Wideout

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday and might have lost their most productive pass-catcher in the process.

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne suffered a knee injury on an awkward tackle early in the fourth quarter of New England’s 31-17 defeat at Hard Rock Stadium.

Bourne received medical attention on the field, briefly visited the sideline medical tent and then exited toward the locker room. Within minutes, the Patriots ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

The severity of Bourne’s injury remained unclear Sunday evening, but the Patriots “hope” only his MCL was affected, according to a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport and others reported Bourne had an MRI scheduled for Monday.

Bourne entered Sunday as the Patriots’ leader in catches, receiving yards, touchdowns, first downs and snaps played among wide receivers. He caught three of his four targets against Miami for 36 yards and a first-quarter touchdown.

“KB’s a great teammate, a great friend of mine and does a great job of coming to work every day and staying positive,” quarterback Mac Jones said after the game. “I have a lot of love for KB. I hope he’s OK. I didn’t see him in (the locker room). But off the field, he’s one of my best friends, honestly. I have a lot of respect for him and his family and everything, so I hope he’s OK.”

Bourne is in the final year of his Patriots contract and has been rumored as a potential trade candidate ahead of this Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. A serious injury naturally would lower his odds of being dealt by the Patriots, who fell to 2-6 on the season with Sunday’s loss.

Fellow receiver DeVante Parker also exited the game after taking a hit to the head from Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott. Elliott was not penalized for the hit, but Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater confidently predicted the NFL will fine him for it.