Rumors and healthy scratch confirm Patriots LB will likely be traded

The 2024 trade deadline is just around the corner on November 5, and because the Patriots are far from a winning team, they are highly considered a selling team. Although they don't have much desirable talent on the roster, there are still a handful of players that will likely garner interest from teams looking to acquire talent, with one of the leading names being linebacker Joshua Uche.

He has been the subject of proposed trades over the past year and was reportedly close to being traded to the Lions in 2023 before a deal was unable to be completed. That led many to believe he would leave in free agency this past offseason, only for the new regime to re-sign him to a one-year contract for the 2024 season.

It was presumed to be a prove it deal given how up and down his career has been since the Patriots drafted him in 2020.

His production was mostly forgettable his first two seasons, but he broke out in 2022 and put together his career-best year by recording 27 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. It looked like New England had finally found their second star pass rusher to play alongside Matthew Judon, but Uche didn't replicate that performance the following season.

Because he worked closely with linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, he was a leading force in giving Uche another chance this year to prove he could be the player the defense needed. He was a prime candidate to help ease the loss of Matthew Judon after the Patriots traded him to the Falcons, only for his performance to fall flat and see a serious reduction in playing time over the first seven weeks.

That all came to a head leading into Week 8, as the Patriots have officially made him a healthy scratch against the Jets amidst trade rumors heating up ahead of the deadline.

The latest reporting from various sources claims the Patriots are hoping to trade Uche in the next week and gain at least a fifth-round pick in return. While it's just a rumor at this point, not suiting up for Sunday's matchup as the chatter is going on in the background seems to confirm the rumors to be more true than not.

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