Kayshon Boutte just fueled a possible Patriots return next offseason even more

From the moment rumors started swirling about the Patriots' interest in trading wide receiver Kayshon Boutte ahead of the 2026 season, fans weren't on board.

Because he had become a valuable part of the offense, it didn't make sense to take away a trusted pass catcher from Drake Maye, yet that's exactly what Eliot Wolf did when he traded Boutte to the Texans.

At first, it seemed like a good opportunity for Boutte to earn a bigger role in Houston than he would have in New England, and Patriots fans were happy about that for him. But that quickly plummeted when Nico Collins returned from injury, and the Texans eventually traded for Marvin Harrison Jr.

In the weeks since then, he's seen even less time on the field, prompting Patriots fans to wish the team could somehow bring him back this season. And by the looks of it, it's fair to assume Boutte shares that sentiment.

Kayshon Boutte has talked a lot about the Patriots this past week

Over the last few days, the wide receiver has shown his Patriots pride on social media, first sharing his support for Drake Maye winning AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October on Instagram stories.

This pleased fans, who were happy to see Boutte still wanted to recognize his former quarterback's accomplishments, especially after Maye's rough start this year.

Of course, this brought back the conversation about what the offense could have been this year if he were still in the lineup, even more so since A.J. Brown was already ruled out of this Sunday's game, marking 6 games he's missed, while Romeo Doubs remains on injured reserve and Mack Hollins is just returning from injury.

That's exactly why keeping Boutte made sense: the worst-case scenario could happen, and it did, but it fortunately didn't seem to affect Maye's performance as much as anyone expected it to.

Boutte then doubled down on his love for the Patriots with another Instagram post, this time expressing disappointment at never having had the chance to wear their beloved rivalry jersey and sharing a picture of the one he still has.

As we know, the Patriots cannot trade for Boutte this season because NFL rules prevent trading for a player you already traded for earlier in the season.

But the fact that he doesn't appear to hold a grudge against his former team has many wondering whether there's a real chance he could return next offseason, when he's set to hit free agency for the first time in his career.

While that was always a possibility, most assumed he would have an impressive season with the Texans, and that would drive up the price to bring him in. Based on what we've seen so far, it doesn't look like he will have the opportunity to do that, not with Collins and Harrison in the lineup.

And because of that, the Patriots should be able to afford him if they decide it was a mistatke to trade him.

DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins are the two receivers set to become free agents in the spring, which could open a spot for Boutte back in the lineup. Whether the Patriots see value in that remains to be seen, but it looks like he would be open to returning, just as fans want to see.

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