With just about two weeks until the 2026 regular season begins, it would be wise for the Patriots to figure out what exactly they want to do with their receiving corps, whether that be keeping seven pass catchers on the roster or trading someone away for more draft capital.
The main player in the trade discussion remains Kayshon Boutte, as rumors have persisted since the start of free agency, despite his productivity over the last three years.
On top of that, Drake Maye continues to advocate for Boutte, who has become one of his favorite targets, but none of it has quieted the constant chatter about his future, with the consensus that it won't be in New England.
Given the holes on the roster the Patriots likely want to address before Week 1, and their apparent lack of interest in offering Boutte a contract extension to keep him on the team beyond this year, the conversation about an impending trade has gotten hotter over the past week.
But how they chose to approach their preseason game against the Eagles over the weekend seems to have sent a subtle signal about their plans, and those who want Boutte to stay on the roster will be happy to hear what it might mean.
There's a small chance that the Patriots revealed their plans for Kayshon Boutte over the weekend
Although it may be just a theory, Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard believes the Patriots' decision not to play Boutte against the Eagles on Saturday may have been their way of ensuring he didn't get injured ahead of the season.
If they were hoping to entice teams with his performance, or unsure of whether they wanted to keep him, it would've made sense to see him line up with the backups in this game.
But that's not what happened, and Bedard might be onto something with his takeaway.
.@GregABedard reacts to Kayshon Boutte not playing against the Eagles:
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 23, 2026
“I think it's definitely notable that Kayshon Boutte did not play…At least for now I think that indicates to me that they are not trading Kayshon Boutte, at least not anytime soon or at least they're trying… pic.twitter.com/DItfek10A8
That's certainly one way to interpret keeping Boutte out of the game.
But there's also the possibility that not wanting to risk him getting injured isn't about him being healthy to suit up with the Patriots, and more about avoiding an injury that would inevitably force any interested teams to look elsewhere for receiver help.
It's obviously difficult to say which scenario the Patriots were thinking of when they made the decision, so until someone says one way or another, all we can do is speculate.
And that will continue until roster cutdowns and/or Boutte is traded. But for now, it's not completely unreasonable to believe they plan to keep him on the team to work behind A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and DeMario Douglas.
They're fortunate to be in a position of having a very talented wide receiver room, and it will be difficult to decide who should and shouldn't be on the roster this season. It's something they haven't dealt with in a long time, and it seems foolish to move on from a player who has been productive no matter who the quarterback or offensive coordinator was.
Time will tell whether they ultimately value that or would rather take a draft pick now because they know they won't be re-signing him next offseason. Regardless, whatever decision they make will be met with a lot of opinions, and some of that might come from the locker room itself.
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