Patriots trade Kayshon Boutte to Texans for young safety, draft pick

Doug Kyed, Boston Herald on Aug 24, 2026

Published in Football

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BOSTON — The New England Patriots are giving wide receiver Kayshon Boutte a fresh start with the Houston Texans.

The Patriots are trading Boutte to the Texans, The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero first reported Monday.

A source confirmed the deal to the Boston Herald on Monday. The Patriots will receive safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Boutte had reportedly requested a trade in the spring. He was suddenly buried on the depth chart in a wide receiver corps that added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. The trade frees up Brown, Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism to make the Patriots’ 53-man roster while providing the team with more safety depth and a future pick.

Reed joins Craig Woodson, Kevin Byard, Dell Pettus, Mike Brown, John Saunders Jr., Peter Manuma, Eric Butler and Brenden Schooler on the Patriots’ safety depth chart. The 2025 sixth-round pick out of Penn State started three games last season — one in the regular season and two in the playoffs.

Reed had 14 combined tackles and one fumble recovery in seven games with one start in the regular season during his rookie year. In two playoff starts, he totaled five tackles. He missed the beginning of the 2025 season with a knee injury. He also missed time with a forearm injury last season.

The Texans needed additional wide receiver help after losing starter Jayden Higgens for the season to a torn ACL. Boutte could play a major role for the Texans, joining Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel in their wide receiver room. He’ll have three weeks to get acquainted with starting quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Boutte was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft out of LSU. After catching just two catches on seven targets for 19 yards as a rookie, he had two consecutive seasons with over 500 yards. He finishes his Patriots career with 78 catches on 121 targets for 1,159 yards with nine touchdowns. He caught nine passes on 20 targets for 168 yards with one touchdown last postseason.

The 5-foot-11, 203-pound wide receiver developed impressive chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye last season and had a strong training camp. He caught over 70% of Maye’s targets last season and picked up 16.7 yards per reception as the team’s best deep threat.

Boutte was not part of the Patriots’ starting group this summer, however. Brown and Doubs have been regulars outside in the first unit with Maye, while Douglas has been the team’s top slot receiver. Boutte likely would have entered the season as the Patriots’ No. 4 wide receiver. Hollins and Williams are capable of filling that role. Chism has also had a strong camp as Douglas’ backup in the slot role.

“There’s a lot of guys that we talk about the professionalism, and this is the situation, you show up to camp, you compete, and then you try to earn a role, and that’s what everybody’s trying to do, and Kayshon included,” Vrabel said of Boutte last week. “So, I appreciate what he does each and every day, made a huge play for us yesterday in a two-minute – or the other day. These days just run together, so I apologize. But he made a huge play for us, just like he did last year, multiple times when we called on him. So, he’s ready to go, he’s prepared, and he’s trying to earn a role on his football team.”

Wide receivers coach Todd Downing praised Boutte’s professionalism while speaking to reporters last week, saying he’ll use it as an example for the rest of his coaching career.

Boutte is entering a contract year, and it became apparent that he wouldn’t sign an extension with the team after they signed Doubs and traded for Brown.

Still, Boutte had a stronger training camp than Hollins and Williams and likely would have served as a backup to Brown and Doubs.

Barring an injury, it’s unlikely that Reed will start over Byard or Woodson. The second-year pro has good athleticism for his size. He ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in 2025 while measuring in at 6-feet, 211 pounds.

Reed, 23, reacted to the trade on social media, posting, “God don’t make no mistakes. I’m grateful for the Texans taking an opportunity on me. Thankful for all my brothers and relationships I’ve made in Houston. Forever hold a strong part in my heart. Let’s do it #PatsNation. Everything happens for a reason. I’m in god’s hands 23 gone be straight.”

One person who might be grateful for the trade is Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who’s considered one of the best in the NFL at his position. Stingley rarely gives up touchdowns, but he’s allowed two long scores to Boutte in consecutive seasons.

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