Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will be out for at least the first four games of the regular season.
Bourne will start the season on the physically unable-to-perform list, which means he cannot play in the Patriots’ first four games.
Although Bourne had hoped to be ready for training camp after tearing his ACL last year, he’s not recovered enough yet. He injured his ACL in Week Eight of last season, and it’s common for such injuries to take nearly a year to fully heal.
Even with the ACL injury, the Patriots signed Bourne to a new three-year contract in March. They are confident he will get healthy and be able to contribute, even if it’s not during the first month of the season.
The four games Bourne will miss are against the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, and 49ers. The earliest he could return is October 6 for a game against the Dolphins.