As usual, fans packed the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium on Day 1 of training camp, this time with the added draw of seeing the new Drake Maye-A.J. Brown connection in person.
True to form, Maye’s first pass was targeted for Brown with top cornerback Christian Gonzalez in coverage. Maye told reporters after that he had to give Brown a better ball. Per Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal, Brown nearly made a nifty one-handed catch but couldn’t haul it in.
Bedard also shared his top play for Maye and the offense, and it didn’t feature the Patriots’ new No. 1 wide receiver.
It came on a deep ball from Maye to Kayshon Boutte, the receiver most are expecting to be phased out this season following the arrivals of Brown and free-agent addition Romeo Doubs. Per Bedard, Maye and Boutte flashed the connection that fans saw often during last year’s run to the Super Bowl, with Boutte making an acrobatic catch that sent him crashing to the grass and losing his helmet.
When asked about Boutte’s effort amid widespread trade speculation all offseason, Maye sounded like a man who expected one of his favorite targets to be on the field with him in 2026.
"Yeah, I mean, it's nothing new. I mean, you guys see it," Maye said. "I mean, all year last year and the year before, and he just keeps doing things right. And I'm proud of him for getting in there, jumping in there. And he understands if he's got something down the sideline and a ball down the field, he's got a chance it's coming his way."
Kayshon Boutte has Drake Maye in his corner entering an uncertain camp
The question with Boutte isn’t whether he’s one of the best five or six wide receivers on the Patriots’ training camp roster. After the big play ability and body control he displayed last season, that part is undeniable.
The question is more about roster flexibility, as Boutte’s skill set and style as more of a boundary receiver clashes with that of Brown, Doubs, and fellow roster-locks Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams.
If the Patriots carry Boutte, his roster spot could come at the expense of one of the team’s best slot options, like DeMario Douglas or Efton Chism III.
Maye clearly has Boutte’s back, and that could be a factor as the team continues to explore trade options over the next month. Albert Breer told NBC Sports Boston earlier this month that a fifth-round draft pick could compel the Patriots to move Boutte, who posted career highs in yards per reception (16.7) and touchdowns (6) in 2025.
New England could have a hard time fetching that kind of return, though, due to the current state of the free agent market. Wide receiver-needy teams could have a hard time justifying a trade with solid veterans like Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, and Brandin Cooks still sitting on the market as unrestricted free agents.
In a perfect world, the Patriots would prioritize the varying skillsets that receivers like Douglas and Chism bring to their roster. But Boutte’s far too talented — and inexpensive — to justify dumping for nothing.
Highlight-reel catches like Saturday’s opening practice could certainly start to change the conversation, but there’s a real path to Boutte sticking on the Patriots’ roster in 2026, and the quarterback would clearly welcome that outcome.
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