Kayshon Boutte’s absence from the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workouts has fueled questions about whether his role in New England is ending. With A.J. Brown’s expected arrival early next month and New England already signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal i
New England’s wide receiver room has been under a microscope all offseason. And now, the spotlight is sharpening on Kayshon Boutte—at the exact moment the Patriots’ interest in adding A.J. Brown appears to be closing in.
Boutte, a dependable deep-ball threat for Drake Maye this past season, finished with 33 catches for 551 yards and six touchdowns over 14 games with the Patriots in 2025. But as the team kicked off its voluntary offseason workouts in Foxborough, Boutte wasn’t there.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the 24-year-old wideout is working out on his own away from the team facility. despite skipping participation in New England’s voluntary offseason workouts. The situation has only grown more noticeable because Boutte is still getting work in while out in Miami. as captured in an April 22. 2026 social media post.
Those details set off a blunt question on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Monday morning. Reiss was asked whether Boutte’s absence could be tied to Brown’s expected arrival early next month—specifically, whether the addition would create “redundancy,” leading the Patriots to move Boutte.
Sports Hub radio host Fred Toucher put the scenario directly: “You’re insinuating something — the insinuation is that Boutte would be moved,” he said. “Because of AJ Brown, there would be a redundancy, and Boutte’s not coming because he knows he’s being moved.”
Reiss didn’t dismiss it. “I think that would be something that wouldn’t surprise me,” he said. He added, “I don’t know if that’s what’s going to happen. I don’t know if it should happen. He played really well for them last year.”
The timing matters. If an A.J. Brown trade involving the Patriots and Eagles goes down, the Patriots could be forced to make roster decisions this summer—especially after they already signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year contract in March.
That brings the trade question to its core: what would New England get in return if it moved a receiver who built a strong rapport with Maye?
Albert Breer, writing for Sports Illustrated, offered one estimate on Monday. He said Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte “could be had for a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick right now, if anyone has an interest in him.”
In a vacuum. the idea of that value feels low for a receiver who produced alongside Maye and served as a reliable outside option. But roster math can change quickly—particularly when a team has many targets to juggle. New England may see Boutte as someone it can part with now rather than carry into another crowded offseason.
Even the contract clock is working against him. Boutte is a 2023 sixth-round pick. and the article notes he is entering the final year of his contract and is due for a solid raise next summer. That factor could push the Patriots to address the situation sooner than later—before the price of keeping him rises.
All of it leaves the same central tension hanging over Foxborough: if A.J. Brown arrives early next month, will Boutte’s absence from voluntary workouts turn out to be more than a coincidence?
New England Patriots Kayshon Boutte A.J. Brown trade Drake Maye Romeo Doubs NFL offseason wide receiver fifth-round pick sixth-round pick