Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne certainly understood his situation when the San Francisco 49ers made a splash move to open up the negotiation window ahead of free agency, signing future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans.
With Evans entering the picture, Bourne would be no more than a tertiary receiver on the depth chart, trailing the new WR1 in town and also behind third-year pro Ricky Pearsall.
And if the Niners made an expected move in April's NFL Draft to select a promising young wideout, Bourne would again be pushed down to the periphery of the roster.
So, it makes sense why he opted to jump ship, signing a two-year free-agent deal with an NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals, joining a former San Francisco assistant, new head coach Mike LaFleur, in the process.
While the red birds are nowhere as close to contending for a Super Bowl in contrast to the 49ers, at least Bourne should have far greater role out in the desert.
Upon his departure, though, Bourne had a small ask of his soon-to-be former teammates, via tight end George Kittle, of course.
Kendrick Bourne asks his former 49ers teammates to be gentle on him
Kittle, who knew bourne Back when they both broke into the league as Niners rookies back in 2017, bade farewell to his once-again teammate shortly after the pending transaction was announced, saying, "No energy like you on the field! Good luck brother."
Bourne, certainly touched by the gesture, didn't hesitate to ask Kittle and Co. to go easy on him when San Francisco squares off against Arizona next.
"Love you bro," Bourne responded on social media (h/t @OurSFNiners). "Tell them boys don't put no hit out on me."
Kendrick Bourne responded and told Kittle not to put the hit out on him since he joined a division rival 💀 https://t.co/T0XbUBs40Q pic.twitter.com/PfnEb6XevY
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) March 10, 2026
Read more: 49ers free agency tracker 2026: Signings, departures and latest news
It's clear few on San Francisco's roster would question Bourne's decision to depart, especially without knowing what the 49ers were offering to the veteran receiver.
But it is clear Kittle and the Niners are thankful for Bourne's return last season after his extensive stay with the New England Patriots. Bourne ultimately finished 2025 with 551 yards on 37 catches, and his back-to-back 142-yard games early in the season were instrumental at a time when San Francisco's pass-catching corps was depleted.
Now, the 49ers have to be thankful if Bourne doesn't go off twice a year when Arizona is on the opposing sideline.