New England’s Kayshon Boutte has been working out independently and is not showing up for the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workouts, with mandatory minicamp still the only requirement. The sixth-round pick from 2023 is entering the final year of his rookie de
Voluntary offseason workouts are in full swing for the Patriots offense, but one of their key available targets isn’t lining up for team sessions. Kayshon Boutte is working out on his own rather than participating with the group.
None of the current offseason sessions are mandatory for players, with the annual mandatory minicamp serving as the exception.. Still, working independently carries risk for the player and leverage for the team.. If an athlete suffers a serious injury while training on his own. the Patriots have the prerogative to label it a non-football injury and not pay him.
The reason Boutte isn’t joining the voluntary group isn’t clear.. The sixth-round pick from the 2023 draft is eligible for a new contract and is now entering the final year of his rookie deal.. His base salary for the season is $3.674 million. and his absence feeds uncertainty about whether he’s trying to protect his position—or simply pursuing his own preparation plan.
Boutte’s production has shown flashes without a breakout season.. Across three NFL seasons, he has never topped 589 receiving yards in any one year.. During the divisional-round win over the Texans in January. he recorded three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown—one of the more memorable moments he has had as he tries to reach the next level.
Roster movement could make his path harder to force targets and roles.. The expected arrival of Romeo Doubs via free agency is set to complicate how Boutte carves out production.. And the expected trade for A.J.. Brown would only add another layer of competition.. The timing is also complicated by the possibility that any trade with the Eagles would happen after June 1.
For now, the only certainty is Boutte’s absence from voluntary workouts. Whether he returns to team activities beyond the 2026 season is still an open question; if Brown does arrive and the situation reshapes the depth chart, it’s possible the Patriots could make Boutte available to other teams.
The situation is threaded with a clear sequence: voluntary sessions aren’t required. mandatory minicamp remains the only obligation. and the team has discretion over injury classification if a player gets hurt outside football activities—while Boutte enters his final rookie-deal year ($3.674 million) as new competition is expected to arrive through Romeo Doubs and the A.J.. Brown trade.
Patriots Kayshon Boutte offseason workouts voluntary workouts rookie deal $3.674 million Romeo Doubs A.J. Brown Texans divisional round