The Patriots opted to bench Kendrick Bourne in a surprise move to give younger players like Ja’Lynn Polk, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas more playing time in their eventual win over the Chicago Bears. But it had everything to do with prioritizing youth and nothing to do with Drake Maye wanting certain players on the field.

“As a rookie, I don’t really have control over who’s there,” the quarterback said Monday during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “Afternoon Show.” “I’m more concerned about my work.”

Maye was confident Bourne would be back on the field soon enough.

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“I think KB, first and foremost, is a great teammate and a great leader on this team. You’ll see KB more often. You will definitely see him again for the rest of the season,” Maye said. “So I’m glad he’s here. I think he had nice catches against Tennessee and the Titans.

Bourne caught four passes for 41 yards in the 20-17 loss to the Titans. He is dealing with an ACL tear that ended his 2023 season prematurely.

It was an interesting move, considering Bourne played 78% of New England’s offensive snaps in the two games leading up to Week 10. But the wide receiver was rooting on the sideline during the Patriots’ win over the Bears, and was all smiles as he did so. coach Jerod Mayo entered. the locker room.

It’s unclear how Bourne will be used when the Patriots host the Los Angeles Rams for the second straight season on Sunday.