Former Kentucky star Lynn Bowden reportedly has new NFL home in New England
Former University of Kentucky star Lynn Bowden has experienced both the ups and downs of life as a pro football player this week.
Bowden, who played wide receiver and quarterback for the Wildcats from 2017-19, was released Tuesday by the Miami Dolphins.
It took Bowden only two days to find a new NFL home. The New England Patriots, rivals of the Dolphins in the AFC East, signed Bowden to their practice squad on Thursday, ESPN reported.
In New England, Bowden could potentially team up with second-year quarterback Mac Jones. The two share a Kentucky connection that dates to their days as college recruits.
Jones committed to Kentucky for its class of 2017 before ultimately flipping to Alabama, where he went on to win a national championship.
Months after Jones de-committed from Kentucky, Bowden signed with the Wildcats, whom he helped lead to a pair of bowl victories.
In addition to their 53-man rosters, each NFL team is allowed to carry up to 16 players on a practice squad. Those players contribute to the “scout team” in practice most weeks, helping the starters prepare to face upcoming opponents.
NFL teams are allowed to call up players from their practice squads in the event of injuries, trades or other roster moves.
In Miami, Bowden ran out of time to develop when the Dolphins decided to rebuild around star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jayden Waddle in addition to other upgrades at the position.
Bowden, 24, spent three seasons at Kentucky but took precious few reps as a true wide receiver before moving on to play that position exclusively in the pros.
As a true freshman in 2017, Bowden caught 17 passes for 210 yards in Kentucky’s run-heavy offense. He enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore, catching 67 balls for 745 yards and five touchdowns. He began his junior year at wide receiver, where he caught another 30 passes for 348 yards and a score before being moved to quarterback five games into the season because of injuries to other players.
Playing in an offense built to his strengths as a runner, Bowden quarterbacked the Wildcats to a 6-2 record and led the Southeastern Conference in rushing with 1,468 yards. He also passed for 403 yards on 74 attempts and led UK to a come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl.
After that season, Bowden won the Paul Hornung Award, which is presented annually to college football’s most versatile player. He was also named the Herald-Leader’s Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year by a vote of the state’s media.
The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Bowden with the 80th overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft, picking him up in the third round. Shortly before the 2020 season began, the Raiders traded Bowden to Miami.
As a rookie, Bowden saw action in 10 games and started four, catching 28 balls for 211 yards and rushing nine times for 32 yards. Bowden missed the entire 2021 season because of a hamstring injury. He caught four passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns this preseason.
In New England, the Patriots kept five wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster — Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Tyquan Thornton and former Louisville Cardinals star DeVante Parker, who was a teammate of Bowden in Miami before he was traded this offseason.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 12:01 PM.