Who Should I Start? Kendrick Bourne or Richie James

Tuesday, September 16, 11:41 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne operated as the team's No. 3 receiver in Week 2, just five days after signing with the team. In San Francisco's 26-21 win over New Orleans, Bourne caught all three of his targets for 32 receiving yards. His production expectedly lagged behind Jauan Jennings (ankle) and Ricky Pearsall, but he outsnapped Marques Valdez-Scantling 33 to eight. This is Bourne's second stint with the 49ers, the team that signed him as a rookie in 2017. After hitting free agency in 2021, Bourne signed with the Patriots and spent three years there with Mac Jones as his quarterback. Jones is under center for San Francisco while Brock Purdy (toe/shoulder) recovers from multiple injuries. With Jennings now nursing an ankle injury sustained on Sunday, Bourne may have added relevance in the 49ers' Week 3 appointment with the Arizona Cardinals.

Saturday, July 19, 11:06 AM

Wide receiver Richie James announced on X on Friday that he is retiring from professional football. "It took time but i have come to realize I am retired from the NFL. Seventh round out of MTSU. I feel like I was just a ballplayer to last that long. Unfortunately, my knee never healed properly. I was playing hurt since 2022. Oh well. I gave everything I got to the game of football," James wrote. The 29-year-old was originally selected 240th overall in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL draft out of Middle Tennessee State. He played the first three years of his career in the Bay Area before joining the New York Giants in 2022. James last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. He will finish his five-year career with 105 catches on 143 targets for 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns in 66 regular-season games (15 starts).