The San Francisco 49ers are short wide receivers.
A former receiver who gained notoriety with the Niners early in his career just became available.
And both parties were interested in the other.
Already without star wideout Brandon Aiyuk for at least the first four weeks of the season while he recovers from last year's ACL and MCL tears, as well as more uncertainty surrounding fellow wide receiver Jauan Jennings, San Francisco's dire situation at the position doesn't appear to be improving anytime soon.
Except a potential gift in former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne just got dropped into general manager John Lynch's lap in the wake of the New England Patriots releasing the veteran.
It didn't take long for the two parties to reconnect, and the 30-year-old receiver quickly scheduled a visit with his former squad the Monday prior to the regular season beginning.
Unfortunately, it didn't conclude with the best of news.
Kendrick Bourne leaves 49ers without signing an offer
Bourne spent the first four seasons of his career in the Bay Area after going undrafted out of Eastern Washington in 2017, and it's safe to say he thrived as a tertiary receiver under head coach Kyle Shanahan during that tenure.
The Niners may have been desperate, and according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, they were willing to offer the receiver a contract right away.
Unfortunately, Bourne left without signing a deal:
The 49ers made a formal offer to sign free-agent WR Kendrick Bourne, source says. They did not reach an agreement, and now Bourne visits with the Washington Commanders today.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 2, 2025
Granted, as Maiocco also reported, Bourne had a follow-up visit with the Washington Commanders the following day, and it's just as possible he's waiting that meeting's outcome before making a final decision.
It'd be something of an ironic twist if Bourne ultimately rebuffs San Francisco in favor of Washington, as the two teams have engaged in multiple offseason trades: the March deal that sent wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Commanders, plus the August trade of running back Brian Robinison Jr. to the 49ers.
Of course, the window for landing Bourne isn't closed, and he's still very much available until proverbial pen is put to paper.
From the Niners' perspective, they probably wish he hadn't left the building without that happening.