Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte drops 5-word truth bomb with trade rumors swirling

The New England Patriots have already made a couple of big moves this offseason, but they might not be done. Just over a week after acquiring star wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, Kayshon Boutte has seen his name thrown around in trade rumors.

Boutte had a breakout season in 2025, especially the second half of the season when he became the top downfield target for Drake Maye. Now, however, that honor will almost certainly go to Brown, leaving Boutte with an expendable skillset.

That has led to the LSU product seeing his name constantly pop up in trade rumors, which can be a tough spot for a young payer to be in over the offseason. Despite that, he was still present at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.

After practice, Boutte had just five words to say about the trade rumors, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.

“I want to be here,” he said.

The good news for Boutte is that he and Brown were playing together with the first team offense on Tuesday, with the fourth-year receiver playing the X spot and Brown working at Z. If the Pats can’t find a trade partner for Boutte, it’s clear that they have a plan in place to keep both guys involved.

Unfortunately for Boutte, the addition of Brown makes Boutte’s skillset a little bit redundant in the offense, making a trade a logical solution. He struggles underneath at times and is elite at getting separation and winning at the catch point down the field. On the other side, Brown is one of the best in the world at doing just that, but he is also a fantastic underneath wideout who excels after the catch.

Of course, there is a world where both of them coexist on one of the most explosive passing offenses in football. However, if the Patriots get offered a valuable draft asset in exchange for Boutte, it sounds as if they’re more than willing to listen as they build around Maye for the future.

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