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Kayshon Boutte has spent the entire offseason up to this point away from all of the buzz surrounding the New England Patriots potentially trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
It's a humbling reality of the business side of the game for a player who served as Drake Maye's top deep-threat receiver and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in 2025. Now that the pipe dream of Brown in New England has become a reality, what does that mean for Boutte, who is entering the final year of his contract?
Fans would obviously love for Boutte to finish out his final year in New England and help the team load up on receiver talent. The team obviously feels the same way, given how Patriots coach Mike Vrabel spoke about Boutte when addressing media members at OTAs last week.
"I have a great amount of respect for Kayshon. Watching him mature and grow through the entire time that we spent together, that's a credit to Kayshon, that's a credit to Todd Downing," said Vrabel. "The communication is, 'Hey, how are you doing? Are you working hard? Yeah, I like where I'm working out at. We'll be here ready to coach ya when you're here.' That's been very positive, and I would imagine he would pick up where he left off and grow on the season that he had last year."
But the feeling might not be mutual.
Boutte saw his target share decrease from 68 targets in 2024 to 46 in 2025. That number could get even lower in 2026 with the arrival of Brown and veteran Romeo Doubs in the offense. Seeing diminished targets could drastically impact Boutte's production on the field and overall earning potential in free agency next year.
NFL insider Albert Breer said in May that he thought Boutte could be traded for a fifth or sixth-round draft pick. That could be something the team looks into if the situation isn't salvageable. It would sure beat releasing one of the few receivers the team has hit on in recent memory and watching him walk away for nothing.
A split feels inevitable with a multitude of different ways to get there. But that doesn't mean there isn't at least a sliver of hope that Boutte could help the Patriots try to finish what they started last season.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What's next for WR Kayshon Boutte after Patriots-A.J. Brown trade?
Continue reading...
It's a humbling reality of the business side of the game for a player who served as Drake Maye's top deep-threat receiver and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in 2025. Now that the pipe dream of Brown in New England has become a reality, what does that mean for Boutte, who is entering the final year of his contract?
Fans would obviously love for Boutte to finish out his final year in New England and help the team load up on receiver talent. The team obviously feels the same way, given how Patriots coach Mike Vrabel spoke about Boutte when addressing media members at OTAs last week.
"I have a great amount of respect for Kayshon. Watching him mature and grow through the entire time that we spent together, that's a credit to Kayshon, that's a credit to Todd Downing," said Vrabel. "The communication is, 'Hey, how are you doing? Are you working hard? Yeah, I like where I'm working out at. We'll be here ready to coach ya when you're here.' That's been very positive, and I would imagine he would pick up where he left off and grow on the season that he had last year."
But the feeling might not be mutual.
Boutte saw his target share decrease from 68 targets in 2024 to 46 in 2025. That number could get even lower in 2026 with the arrival of Brown and veteran Romeo Doubs in the offense. Seeing diminished targets could drastically impact Boutte's production on the field and overall earning potential in free agency next year.
NFL insider Albert Breer said in May that he thought Boutte could be traded for a fifth or sixth-round draft pick. That could be something the team looks into if the situation isn't salvageable. It would sure beat releasing one of the few receivers the team has hit on in recent memory and watching him walk away for nothing.
A split feels inevitable with a multitude of different ways to get there. But that doesn't mean there isn't at least a sliver of hope that Boutte could help the Patriots try to finish what they started last season.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What's next for WR Kayshon Boutte after Patriots-A.J. Brown trade?
Continue reading...
