THE New England Patriots benched wide receiver Kendrick Bourne in their Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears, leading many to wonder what the story was.

The Patriots opted not to move Bourne at the trade deadlineso it seemed that New England saw him as a rather essential piece for the future.

So then why put him on the bench?

Well, Pats offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt tried to explain the Pats’ reasoning, and honestly, it doesn’t make any sense.

“We’ll play the guys that give us the best chance. Kendrick did some good things (in Week 9) and he’s a big part of this offense,” Van Pelt told reporters (with Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit). “I just felt like there were some areas he could improve in and it was kind of based on that. But he will play an important role in our progress. He brings a lot of energy to the field and his efforts are exceptional. This is exactly how it happened last week. It may change from week to week right now, but he is an integral part of our team.

Wait: So you want to put the guys on the field who give you the best chance of winning, but yet you bench a guy you call a “big part” of the offense?

Something is wrong here.

The fact that Van Pelt also said he “felt like there were some areas he could improve in” is also a bit strange. He’s not a beginner. He’s an eight-year veteran. How will he improve by sitting on the bench and watching?

The Patriots signed Bourne to a three-year contract contract extension during the offseason. He tore his ACL midway through the 2023 campaign and returned on October 6. Throughout that span, he recorded a total of eight catches for 70 yards.

It’s looking more and more like New England should have dealt Bourne at the deadline.

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