Kayshon Boutte’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors going back to last season, meaning he has spent a significant portion of his professional career so far in a state of relative uncertainty. And yet, the New England Patriots wide receiver has been a model citizen.
In fact, Boutte’s professionalism has left a lasting impression on his position coach.
“It’s an example I will use for the rest of my coaching career, the way that he has just been a pro and shown up every day,” Todd Downing told reporters ahead of Sunday’s walkthrough at Gillette Stadium.
A five-star recruit at LSU who later joined the Patriots as a sixth-round draft pick in 2023, Boutte’s career has been one of many twists and turns. Whether it was only sparingly seeing the field as a rookie, to developing into one of Drake Maye’s favorite wide receivers, to working with six offensive coordinators in six years between college and pros, to his trade rumors, the 24-year-old has had anything but a straight-forward journey so far.
And yet, amid it all, he continued to find a way to develop into a starter-caliber wide receiver in the NFL. Coming off a season that saw him catch 42 passes for 719 yards and seven touchdowns, however, that starter role seems to have been going to offseason additions A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
While those moves set the stage for his role changing and him requesting a trade this offseason, Boutte has remained an active part of New England’s passing offense this summer. While nominally the fourth option on the depth chart behind Brown, Doubs and fellow fourth-year man DeMario Douglas, he has stepped up on multiple occasions to show why Maye keeps trusting him with the ball.
More than that, however, he has done whatever the team asked him to do in light of his unclear outlook.
“I have a great relationship with Kayshon and I value that a lot,” added Downing. “I’ll keep our conversations private, but I would say that he is an absolute joy to coach and I’m really glad he’s here.”