The New England Patriots sorted through what looked like enviable wide receiver depth in August.
However, one game into the season, that depth is already being tested — and the decision to move Kayshon Boutte suddenly looks far more uncomfortable.
A.J. Brown exited Wednesday night’s 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a right ankle injury after Nehemiah Pritchett landed on his leg while breaking up a third-down pass. Brown was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out, and he was later seen leaving Lumen Field in a walking boot.
The Ole Miss product had three catches for 26 yards on four targets before exiting and drew a 34-yard defensive pass interference penalty that set up New England’s lone touchdown. Mike Vrabel did not offer an injury update after the game.
PFF analyst Nathan Jahnke wrote on X, “If only the Patriots had a backup X receiver that could help in a situation like this like Kayshon Boutte.”
Patriots Football Now head writer Dan Kelley echoed the frustration, writing that he had been “one of the loudest critics” of the Patriots trading Boutte and that what unfolded Wednesday made him “feel even worse about it.”
Patriots’ Boutte Trade Looks Different After 1 Game
New England traded Boutte to the Houston Texans on Aug. 25, receiving Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick in return. The deal made sense as a numbers crunch at the time. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism gave the Patriots several options, while Boutte was entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Boutte had also produced enough to make the decision debatable.
The 24-year-old finished 2025 with 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. His 16.7 yards per reception ranked fifth in the NFL, via the Patriots’ analysis of the trade. He had developed into a legitimate vertical option for Drake Maye and carried 23 career starts into the deal.
That profile matters more now because Brown was the clear focal point before he went down. Once he left, the offense struggled to find reliable answers as Seattle erased a 10-0 deficit.
Mack Hollins finished with a team-high 51 receiving yards, but Romeo Doubs was held without a catch on three targets and had a costly fourth-quarter drop. Maye threw interceptions on New England’s final three possessions.
Brown Injury Puts Patriots’ WR Depth Under Microscope
There is still too much unknown about Brown’s ankle to frame Boutte’s absence as a season-altering mistake. New England also did not simply dump Boutte for a late pick; Reed was part of the return and addressed another roster need.
But roster decisions hit differently once injuries occur.
Boutte’s 5-foot-11 frame does not fit the classic oversized X-receiver mold, yet his ability to win vertically and function on the perimeter gave New England an experienced outside option behind Brown, which role Jahnke highlighted after the injury.
The Patriots now have extra time before their Week 2 matchup, giving Brown a longer recovery window. If he misses time, however, New England will have to lean on its remaining receivers to replace a player acquired to transform the passing attack.
That’s where the Boutte decision could linger.
New England entered the opener believing it had enough receiver depth to trade away a productive 24-year-old. One injury later, the margin looks thinner — and Boutte is suddenly a much more relevant name than the Patriots hoped he would be in September.
Patriots Face Stark Kayshon Boutte Reality After A.J. Brown Injury