The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with several injuries on the offensive side of the ball, leaving them looking for someone to step up and be the team’s top wide receiver, and Kendrick Bourne has stepped up and answered that call.

Bourne signed with the 49ers in Week 2 and has since caught 23 passes for 371 yards in his five games, including back-to-back 142-yard performances against the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 30-year-old’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed his impact in a media availability earlier this week.

“I mean, for someone just to hop in here Week 2 and get thrown into a starting role by Week 4, I’ve been very appreciative that we’ve been able to have Bourne here,” Shanahan said. “He’s helped us out a lot. By no means is it perfect, like anybody, but he’s getting better each week at catching up with the offense and stuff like that. I feel we’ve been fortunate to have him, though.”

Bourne began his NFL career with the 49ers, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington in 2017, Shanahan’s first year with the team. Since then, everyone’s seen him grow and mature into a veteran and a leader.

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“Yeah, he’s unbelievable now,” Shanahan said. “I think he is like one of the more adults in the building, which I don’t think I would’ve ever said that six years ago. But K.B. was late like his first few weeks, and then he corrected that before his rookie year ended. He got really consistent with being on time after he started out a little bit bad, but by the time K.B. left here, I thought he was extremely mature and had come a long way in his four years I believe he had with us. Then just now seeing him four, five, six years later, whatever it’s been, he’s a grown-up. Speaks like he went to an Ivy League now. Got a very good, strong foundation in his faith and love having him in the building, always have. It’s just as good now, if not better.”

49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak was still coaching prep school football when Bourne was in San Francisco for the first time, joining Shanahan’s staff in 2021 as a defensive quality control coach. However, he also shared the admiration for the wide receiver.

“He’s real impressive, how much he’s playing, given how short a time he has been here,” Kubiak said on Thursday. “He’s been kind of forced into that role because of the injuries. He is just super competitive. He’s making plays. It’s not perfect. There’s stuff he’s got to clean up every week, but he’s totally bought in, and he’s just getting better. He’s learning and he’s competing and it’s showing up on the field on Sunday. So, he has been a huge contributor for us and just really cool to see that, and happy to see him keep getting better.”

When Bourne left San Francisco in 2020, it was to sign a three-year deal with the New England Patriots, where he teamed up with Mac Jones a year later. Now that Jones and Bourne are together again with the 49ers, the quarterback is even more appreciative of the opportunity to play together.

“So, with K.B., I obviously watched him here,” Jones told the media. “I didn’t know him that well when he was in San Francisco, but I came in as a rookie and we were in OTAs or whatever, and it was COVID, but we were throwing on some practice field and K.B. just comes out and he’s got his chains on and he’s just smiling and laughing. I’m like, this guy is pretty crazy, but he is just a great guy and worked really hard. He’s just gone through such a reformation, through his journey with Christ and everything, too. And I just really lean on him as a good friend of mine, and I really just love the guy, and he’s one of my best friends. So, really just happy we got to reconnect here, and we really want to keep going. We’re not satisfied with anything, and we want to keep building and not be complacent and work every day and earn it.”

With Ricky Pearsall out another week, Bourne will be one of Jones’ top weapons again, and with their connection, he has a chance to have another big day on Sunday.

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