Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte says he will attend mandatory minicamp June 9-11, brushing aside trade rumors while acknowledging the broader uncertainty around his role after New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
Kayshon Boutte is expected to show up when the Patriots need him most.
The 24-year-old wide receiver confirmed Saturday that he will be in attendance for New England’s mandatory minicamp, scheduled for June 9-11. It’s a point of timing that lands right in the middle of an offseason already heavy with trade whispers.
Boutte didn’t dodge the noise. When he spoke with WBZ on Saturday, he addressed speculation about his future with a simple message about control. “I try not to buy into it,” Boutte said. “At the end of the day, I can control what I can control. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do off the field, everything else will play out.”.
That reassurance comes after a few weeks in which Boutte reportedly opted to practice on his own rather than participate in the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workouts and organized team activities (OTAs). For a team sorting through its wideout depth, that absence has helped keep the idea of a potential move alive.
New England’s situation looks crowded on paper after the club added both A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. Even with Boutte’s chemistry with Drake Maye—built through a 2025 season in which he recorded 33 catches for 551 yards and six touchdowns over 14 games—the argument persists that the Patriots could be looking to free up space as the summer roster takes shape.
The trade chatter wasn’t confined to casual speculation. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on his podcast last week that Boutte would be receptive to a deal. pointing directly to his offseason absence and the crowded receiver room in the summer. “One wide receiver I’m still suspecting that something might happen with is Kayshon Boutte,” Schefter noted. ”He has not been there for the offseason program. He has been interested in a trade. I would think that at some point this summer, we may get action there. Another deal, Kayshon Boutte, going somewhere else. We’ll see how that works out.”.
Boutte’s decision to step back from the voluntary workouts has also drawn notice inside the team. Mike Vrabel spoke last month about Boutte’s growth and the respect he has for him. describing regular communication during the time Boutte was working out on his own. “I have a great amount of respect for Kayshon. and watching him mature and grow through the entire time that we spent together. ” Vrabel said. “That’s a credit to Kayshon.
that’s a credit to [wide receivers coach] Todd Downing.” Vrabel added that the conversation stayed steady: “And just the communication is. ‘Hey. how are you doing?. One, you’re working hard?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I like where I’m working out at.’ ‘Okay. We’ll be here ready to coach you when you’re here.’ That’s been very positive. and I would imagine that he would pick up where he left off and grow on the season that
he had last year.”.
The numbers from last season matter in the background: Boutte wasn’t just present in Maye’s development—he produced as a deep threat. But there’s another layer shaping the conversation, too. The possibility of Boutte’s role being lessened on the current roster has been paired with the idea that the Patriots may have reservations about handing him a hefty new contract beyond this season. In that scenario, a trade becomes a practical path that could satisfy both sides.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated put a price point on that possibility last month. writing that Boutte could be available for a mid-round pick. “Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte. I think. could be had for a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick right now. if anyone has an interest in him. ” Breer wrote last month.
For now, Boutte’s stance is straightforward: he says he won’t let the rumors steer him, and he’s signaling that he’ll be where the team can see his work—starting June 9.
Kayshon Boutte New England Patriots mandatory minicamp June 9-11 trade rumors Drake Maye A.J. Brown Romeo Doubs OTAs