Patriots' Mike Vrabel Makes Eye-Opening Admission About Kayshon Boutte Trade

Last season, Kayshon Boutte was one of the New England Patriots' most consistent targets in the passing game. Had he remained on the roster this season, and that likely wouldn't have been the case.

After the Patriots' 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the preseason final, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the team trading Boutte to the Houston Texans earlier in the week. The fourth-year receiver went for safety Jaylen Reed (who didn't play in yesterday's game) and a future seventh round pick.

Vrabel then made a pretty shocking admission about Boutte's role with this offense had he stuck around for Week 1.

"It was one place where we do have some depth and, I think for all parties involved, that was probably the best thing," Vrabel said. "Without injuries, Kayshon probably would have been inactive. Unfortunately, that just, it’s kind of the way it was. It’s just with him not playing special teams."

Feb 3, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte speaks to the media during Super Bowl LX press conference at Santa Clara Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 24-year-old Boutte racked up 551 yards and a career-best six touchdowns last year as Drake Maye's go-to target down the field. The LSU alum quickly shot up the ranks to be one of the NFL's top deep ball receivers, and was instantly a fan favorite.

Just one year later, and it seems like — even with a strong training camp under his belt — Boutte had been jumped on the depth chart by Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III. Entering a contract year, it was never certain that Boutte would remain with the Patriots past 2026. But it's pretty jarring to see how Boutte might not have been a factor in their plans this season.

Why Wouldn't Boutte Play?

A lot of that might stem from the additions of Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown this offseason. Both players have become the WR1 and WR2 of this room, and Boutte's time on the field was bound to get cut into. In March, Boutte requested a trade (something he revealed in an Instagram post thanking New England this week).

"I’ve tried to thank Kayshon as many times as I could. I texted him again today," Vrabel continued. "Just his maturity, his growth, his ability to put into words last year and share his own personal struggle, but also the growth that he made from that, that’s positively going to affect a lot of people. I know that that wasn’t easy for him to do. And I tell him all the time about how much I respect him for being able to do that."

As we head into the start of the regular season, Boutte will now get a shot to prove his worth with the Texans. The Patriots will likely roll into Week 1 with Brown, Doubs, Mack Hollins, Williams, Douglas and Chism as their six wideouts. Kyle Dixon, Nick DeGennaro, Cameron Dorner and Tejhaun Palmer are also on the roster ahead of Sunday's roster cuts.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google