It is going to be interesting to see who will be catching passes for the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will be a big factor, but he needs to bounce back after a rough game.
On Sunday, Bourne had just one catch on four targets with him dropping those other three targets:
Kendrick Bourne against the Jaguars:
• 4 targets
• 3 drops
• 1 catch
• 17 yards
• 41.3 receiving grade
After this drop on third down the Jaguars returned the punt 87 yards for a touchdownpic.twitter.com/gLlq0ZkdvV
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 29, 2025
His biggest drop came in the third quarter on a third-down throw from quarterback Brock Purdy. In what was overall a rough day for Purdy, he put the ball where it needed to be for Bourne to convert for a first down, but Bourne just straight-up dropped it.
If he had caught that ball, he may still be running and the outcome of the game could have been different. But as things stand, he needs to have a big game on Thursday or else his status on the team may come into question.
Bourne had seemed to settle into a role as the No. 3 receiver on the depth chart, but with both Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings out on Thursday due to injury Bourne may very well serve as San Francisco's No. 1 receiver.
He needs to prove that the game against Jacksonville was just an aberration. With Purdy's toe flaring up again, ruling him out for the bout, that could actually be a good thing for Bourne who has greater familiarity and chemistry with backup quarterback Mac Jones dating back to their time together in New England. Perhaps this will help Bourne have a better performance against LA.
He will not be the only wide receiver out there. Demarcus Robinson has a chance to have a big game against his former team, and veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling should see some action as well.
But if Bourne has another dud of a game, he could see himself slide down the depth chart very quickly. Robinson could end up establishing himself as the No. 3 receiver and Bourne may be iced out of the passing attack. If that happens, the Niners may question why they have him on the roster and could decide to cut him loose especially if rookie Jordan Watkins and Brandon Aiyuk are able to return at some point.
Bourne has a chance to avoid that though and prove he can be an important part of San Francisco's offense by having a big bounce-back game in Los Angeles on Thursday.