The Kayshon Boutte trade, just four games into the season, is already looking like one of those moves both the New England Patriots and Houston Texans wish they could just neurolyze right out of their memories. Seriously, call in the Men in Black for these two teams because this deal has gone sideways in a hurry for everyone involved.
Maye’s MVP Runner-Up Season Hit the Skids After Facing Our D
Before they decided to send Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick, the Patriots had one of the deepest receiving rooms in the entire league. We were all side-eyeing that move, worried it could totally blow up in their face. And guess what? It did. Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown went down with a high ankle sprain in the season opener against our Seattle Seahawks. Just like that, Patriots QB Maye was playing without his best receiver and his two favorite targets from last year, Boutte and Stefon Diggs, who they cut earlier in the offseason. That led to a brutal three-game stretch for Maye, who, after being the MVP runner-up in 2025, plummeted to near the bottom of the league in passing stats.
The good news for New England is that Brown is eligible to return for their Week 6 game against the New York Jets. But who knows if his ankle is actually healed enough. Until then, veteran Mack Hollins emerged as Maye’s go-to downfield threat, only to go down himself last week with a calf injury in their upset win over the Buffalo Bills. It’s clear Boutte’s best production came with Maye throwing him the ball; even in a limited role, he was just better off with the Patriots.
Houston’s 0-4 Hole Proves They Got Nothing From Boutte
Meanwhile, Boutte hasn’t exactly been tearing it up in Houston. Through four games, he’s got just nine receptions for a measly 115 yards, and he’s only got one year left on his contract. The Texans are straight up 0-4 on the year, loaded with more questions than answers right now. Their defense, once considered the strength of the team, is allowing a brutal 27.3 points per game. That is not gonna cut it, even with C.J. Stroud playing better than expected.
Another loss this Sunday to the winless Titans would put their entire 2026 season on life support. You gotta wonder if they’d value getting a draft pick back over holding onto a player who isn’t really providing much value to their roster. For the Patriots, Boutte could slide right back into the mix as another big-bodied downfield target for Maye, especially since they’ve already built that chemistry. He’d also be huge Brown insurance down the stretch. If New England could undo that whole trade, which they probably should have never made in the first place, they’d be crazy not to consider it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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