New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84), wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15), wide receiver DeVante Parker (1), and quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) celebrate in the second half of the game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK)
The Patriots’ starting quarterback against Chicago remains unconfirmed, as of Monday morning. But a new report indicates that whoever ends up under center, he will have to play without one of the regulars at wide receiver.
Kendrick Bourne is not expected to play Monday night at Gillette Stadium, as he deals with turf toe, according to Mike Giardi of the NFL Network. Bourne suffered the injury after just four snaps during the Patriots’ Week 6 win over the Browns. He’d previously played a season-high 34 offensive snaps in Week 5 against the Lions.
Meanwhile, Nelson Agholor (hamstring) also remains on the Patriots’ injury report after missing last week’s game. But he appears to be making progress. Agholor didn’t participate in Thursday’s practice, but was upgraded to “limited” on Friday and Saturday.
Both Bourne and Agholor were listed as “Questionable” for Monday night. ESPN’s Mike Reiss hinted that both will be out Monday night when he responded to a question from a Twitter follower.
Elsewhere on offense, tackle Isaiah Wynn (shoulder) and right guard Mike Onwenu (ankle) are also questionable. Tight end Jonnu Smith was removed from the final injury report and appears fully recovered from a sprained ankle.
Based on the Patriots’ receiver usage through six games, the absence of Bourne and Agholor would certainly shorten the rotation against the Bears. But it wouldn’t necessarily affect the top of the depth chart. DeVante Parker (315 snaps) and Jakobi Meyers (211) remain the likely top-2 guys at the position.
Rookie Tyquan Thornton appears on track to be a regular in three-receiver sets Monday night. He has not only avoided further injury since returning in Week 5, but produced efficiently and at a high level. Through two games, he’s caught 6-of-8 targets for 44 yards and a touchdown, and added three carries for 16 yards and a touchdown run. Thornton’s mix of speed and versatility is already looking like a major asset.
But who’s going to throw these guys the ball? The Patriots still haven’t revealed who will start at quarterback, if they have even determined that yet. There have been a multitude of reports on Mac Jones’ status for the game, but nothing definitive. It’s believed that Jones will resume starting duties once he’s deemed healthy enough to play, but there’s no clear indication that his return will happen against the Bears.
New England Patriots quarterbacks #10 Mac Jones and #4 Bailey Zappe share a laugh at practice. (Bob Breidenbach/The Providence Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK)
