New England’s most important decision-makers clearly didn’t love the idea of Cooper Kupp playing in Foxboro, Mass., but that wasn’t the case for everyone employed at One Patriot Place.
Kendrick Bourne started recruiting Kupp immediately once it became clear the veteran wide receiver was on his way out of Los Angeles. The pair of veteran pass-catchers were college teammates at Eastern Washington, and they share another connection as products of the Pacific Northwest.
Kupp ultimately opted for a homecoming once he was released by the Rams, who watched the Super Bowl LVI MVP ink a deal with the rival Seattle Seahawks. While the Patriots never really seemed to be a very serious suit for Kupp, Bourne still felt inclined to apologize to the Foxboro Faithful after New England watched another impact receiver sign elsewhere.
“Nooooooooo pats nation my bad I tried,” Kupp posted to X on Saturday. “Lol happy for my brotha tho! He deserve the best! Cause he is the best!”
The Patriots not going harder after Kupp was a bit surprising, as he was by far the best receiver on the open market before joining the Seahawks. Although more wideouts could become available as key NFL benchmarks pass, New England might be hard-pressed to significantly improve Drake Maye’s arsenal of weapons before the quarterback’s sophomore season.
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