The San Francisco 49ers got a nice victory on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
However, it has become abundantly clear that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is becoming less and less a part of San Francisco's passing attack.
Bourne was targeted once on Sunday and almost came down with a great catch on the sideline on third down, but ever since quarterback Brock Purdy returned from injury, Bourne's production has gone way down.
This is noteworthy because Bourne had some huge games earlier this season when Mac Jones was the quarterback as he was filling in for an injured Purdy. Boure had 142 receiving yards in back-to-back weeks, which was remarkable output for a guy who the Niners picked up off the scrap heap after he was let go by the New England Patriots earlier this year.
Clearly, the chemistry that Bourne and Jones established while they were in New England together translated nicely to the Bay Area where both players said they felt more comfortable being themselves and enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere.
Yet, since Purdy has returned, it has been a different story for Bourne. The veteran has no catches since Purdy returned to a starting role in Week 11 and has only been targeted the one time.
To be fair, Bourne was seeing his targets go down in the weeks prior to Purdy's return as players like tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Jauan Jennings got healthier and became more a part of the offense.
Bourne has remained active on social media, though, and seems to be in good spirits despite seeing a decreased role. He could not help but poke some fun at the Browns after the victory on Sunday.
Even though he is not seeing as much playing time, the Niners may still have to rely upon Bourne at some point this season. If Jennings or Ricky Pearsall go down with an injury, Bourne would likely be thrust back into a starting role.
It is a nice luxury for the Niners to have a veteran like Bourne on the depth chart. Even if he is not catching passes, his high energy and exuberance is infectious and can pay dividends even from the sideline.
Jones and Bourne deserve a lot of credit for helping the Niners stay alive when they were ravaged by injuries, so even if they do not see much action for the rest of the year, they have still been invaluable for San Francisco.