It had taken months to get there, but the New England Patriots finally traded wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on Monday. He’ll land with the Houston Texans, with safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick coming back to the Patriots.
Boutte ended up being the victim of a very deep wide receiver room for the Patriots. Teams simply don’t carry seven wide receivers into the season, and the Patriots were confident in the entire room. So, because Boutte is going into the final season of his rookie deal, and he could potentially walk for nothing, he made sense as the wide receiver you’d trade to make roster space.
The New England Patriots Sent Kayshon Boutte to a Contender
GettyKayshon Boutte catches a touchdown against the Houston Texans
There are a couple of potential pitfalls in the Kayshon Boutte trade for the New England Patriots. The first is relatively simple. Did the Patriots get more value back in the trade than they lost when they sent Boutte’s 2026 season to Houston?
That’s a difficult thing to judge, especially in the immediate aftermath of the trade. Going forward, it’s hard to say how those players sent will perform and it’s going to be two years before the draft pick is even used.
There’s a more pressing issue, though. The Patriots sent Boutte to a contender in the AFC.
Just a season ago, the Patriots played the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. Boutte actually led the Patriots in receiving that game, with 75 yards and a touchdown.
Boutte himself likely isn’t a No. 1 receiving option. He finished the 2025 season with 33 receptions for 551 yards and 6 touchdowns. Still, he’s an excellent deep ball threat, and he fills a need for the Texans as well.
Texans’ wide receiver Jayden Higgins previously suffered a season-ending injury. That means he’s fixing depth on a contender in the AFC. It may be nothing when the season comes to an end. However, if the Texans and Patriots meet in the playoffs again, and Boutte punishes the Patriots, there’s going to be massive blowback against the front office over the move.
What Did the Patriots Get Back for Boutte?
GettyJaylen Reed with the Houston Texans
Coming back to the Patriots for Boutte was safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Reed will likely end up being the highlight of that package.
Given the number of rumors around Boutte and their clear need to make space in the wide receiver room, the Patriots didn’t have a ton of leverage in the trade. So, getting a player like Reed, who is capable of contributing, is a big deal.
That isn’t to say that Reed is going to be a premier defensive back in the Patriots’ secondary. However, he will provide depth to what is already a strength for the team. This comes after he played seven games and made one start as a rookie in 2025. At just 23 years old, there’s also plenty of opportunity for him to develop, too.
The 2028 seventh-round pick becomes a bit of an add-on. It could be used as a piece for a future trade, otherwise it will be a couple of years before the Patriots get a second player out of the Boutte trade.
The Major Concern with the Kayshon Boutte Trade for the New England Patriots