Who Should I Start? Kendrick Bourne or Tyquan Thornton

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.

Monday, September 15, 12:20 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton scored his first touchdown since Week 17 of 2022 in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The Baylor alum connected with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on just 2-of-5 targets in Week 2, but he made them count -- syncing up on a 49-yard score where the wideout went streaking down the middle of the field. Despite the inefficiency when doing so, Kansas City is using the 25-year-old as their deep threat. He's the perfect specimen for that role with blazing 4.28 40-yard dash speed, and the Chiefs are utilizing three-wide receiver sets frequently. It seems that Xavier Worthy (shoulder) will return sooner than anticipated, so Thornton's elevated snap share might not be for long. Still, he matched Marquise Brown's total of 45 from over the weekend and ran in front of JuJu Smith-Schuster for the first time.