The New England Patriots have several intriguing decisions to make before the league’s roster cutdown day this weekend. They made one of them involving the wide receiver room Monday.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday the Patriots agreed to trade wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans. In return, the Patriots will receive safety Jaylen Reed and a draft selection not initially specified.
“Trade! The Patriots are sending WR Kayshon Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a draft pick,” wrote Pelissero on X.
Boutte has been at odds with the Patriots since the team made it clear it was going to add All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown this offseason. New England also signed Romeo Doubs in NFL free agency.
Both of those receiver additions were going to push Boutte into, at best, a WR3 role.
Each of the past two seasons, Boutte posted at least 550 receiving yards. In 2025, he averaged 16.7 yards per catch with 46 receptions, 551 receiving yards and six scores.
The draft pick will influence how pundits view the Boutte trade. But the team’s immediate return is a sixth-round safety from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Last season, Reed played in seven games, making one start.
Patriots Trade WR Kayshon Boutte to Texans: Report
GettyNFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the New England Patriots traded wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for safety Jaylen Reed.
Monday’s trade ends a month’s long standoff with Boutte and the Patriots.
Throughout New England training camp, the 23-year-old receiver reportedly looked great. But seeking a way to a new team always appeared to be Boutte’s main goal for 2026.
“It’s whatever’s best for me,” Boutte told reporters, via SI on Patriots’ Zac Ventola during the first week of August. “Like I said, whether it’s here or somewhere else, I gotta do what’s best for me.”
Quarterback Drake Maye and Boutte continued to grow together at camp this month. But Boutte will now play for a team the Patriots had to defeat on their way to the Super Bowl last season.
Boutte is entering the final year of his rookie contract this fall. He will be an unrestricted free agent in March 2027.
New England Bolsters Safety Depth With Boutte Deal
GettyThe Patriots received safety Jaylen Reed in a trade package for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on Monday.
Within 20 minutes of Pelissero posting the trade, NFL insider Albert Breer reported the full terms of the deal.
While the Texans will receive Boutte, the Patriots get Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick.
New England doesn’t have great odds of turning that seventh-rounder into an impact player like Boutte was. So, the Patriots are counting on Reed becoming a solid contributor this season.
After Week 2 in the preseason, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel voiced he didn’t think his team had very much depth. Although Boutte’s exit hurts at receiver, Reed will hopefully help solidify the back end of the secondary.
Reed posted 14 combined tackles and fumble recovery with the Texans last season. As a senior at Penn State in 2024, Reed registered 98 combined tackles, including 6.5 for loss. He also had three pass defenses, three interceptions and 2.5 sacks.
Patriots Trade WR Kayshon Boutte to AFC Contender: Report