Kayshon Boutte‘s time in New England is coming to an end. A frequent name mentioned in trade talk, the fourth-year wideout is indeed being swapped.
Boutte is being dealt from the Patriots to the Texans, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reports. In exchange, Houston is sending safety Jaylen Reed and a draft pick to New England. The selection in question is a 2028 seventh-rounder, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds.
In the wake of Jayden Higgins suffering an ACL tear, the Texans began reaching out to teams to explore trade targets. Boutte was one of them, so today’s move comes as little surprise. Houston also staged workouts with veteran receivers Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard last week. Both of them agreed to deals, and Boutte is now the latest new arrival at the WR spot.
This agreement ends months of speculation about the Patriots dealing from their newfound wide receiver surplus. Boutte had been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason, as the Patriots were the A.J. Brown frontrunners for an extended period prior to their June 1 trade with the Eagles. New England had added Romeo Doubs in free agency before the Brown move, leaving Boutte with an uncertain path to regular playing time.
Boutte trade rumors date back to at least spring 2025, when a rumor emerged just before the draft about Boutte’s availability. That news came after the Pats had signed ex-Texans trade pickup Stefon Diggs. A Pats team that had aggressively pursued receiving help for multiple offseasons stuck with Boutte, however, and saw the 5-foot-11 wideout accumulate 551 receiving yards on 33 receptions last season. Boutte then added a spectacular touchdown grab in the Pats’ divisional-round win over the Texans.
Just ahead of the 2026 draft, a rumor emerged indicating New England was seeking a Day 3 choice for Boutte — a 2023 sixth-round pick — and after the Brown trade became official it became known Boutte was interested in being moved. Robert Kraft labeling the Pats’ wideout room “pretty full” came along with a rumor the team wanted to do right by Boutte. With DeMario Douglas also a contract-year receiver depth piece, the Texans will bring in the LSU product to play out his platform year in Houston.
Boutte, who tallied a career-high 589 yards during Drake Maye‘s 2024 rookie season, joins a Texans receiving corps that still carried reasonable depth after the Higgins injury. Jaylin Noel and the returning Tank Dell complement No. 1 option Nico Collins in a passing attack also featuring tight end Dalton Schultz. Houston also employs veteran receiver Justin Watson to go with Xavier Hutchinson and sixth-round rookie Lewis Bond. Dell is not a lock to be ready for Week 1, however; that possibly contributed to this trade agreement.
On steadier ground at safety entering the week, the Texans felt comfortable parting with Reed — a 2025 sixth-round pick. Reed played seven games last season, starting one. He will likely compete with Dell Pettus, the Pats’ top safety backup, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes. The Pats lost Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency but reunited Mike Vrabel with ex-Titans charge Kevin Byard. He and Craig Woodson are the Pats’ safety starters.
Houston is in good shape at safety, having signed Reed Blankenship in free agency. The team also rosters ascending talent Calen Bullock at the position, and Jalen Pitre has considerable experience there; Houston has used the former second-rounder in the slot in recent years. The Texans also signed M.J. Stewart in free agency this year and used a fifth-round pick on safety Kamari Ramsey, crowding their room.
While Reed is signed through the 2028 season, Boutte looks set to play out a contract year ahead of a 2027 free agency bid. The Texans have Dell in a walk year, but both Higgins and Noel are locked in through 2028. Collins is signed through 2027 via an agreement updated this offseason.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.