Four games into the season, and an argument can already be made that the Kayshon Boutte trade between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans hasn't worked out that well for either team.
Call in the Men in Black and bring out the neurolyzer for both teams. Let's go ahead and forget that trade ever happened.
The Patriots had arguably the deepest receiving room in the NFL before they decided to send Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, but there was concern that move could blow up in the Patriots' face as soon as it happened.
And it did.
Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown went down with a high ankle sprain in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. So right
off the bat, Maye was forced to play without his best receiver and his two favorite targets from the 2025 season, Boutte and Stefon Diggs. Long before Boutte was traded, Diggs was cut during the offseason in favor of the team going after Romeo Doubs instead.
It ultimately led to a rocky three-game stretch for Maye, who plummeted to near the bottom of the league in passing stats after being the MVP runner-up in 2025.
The good news for the Patriots is that Brown will be eligible to return in the Week 6 game against the New York Jets. Whether his ankle is healed enough for him to actually adhere to that timeline or not remains to be seen. With Brown out, veteran Mack Hollins emerged as Maye's best downfield threat, but then he went down in last week's upset win over the Buffalo Bills with a calf injury.
Boutte's best production came in New England with Maye throwing him the ball. Even in a limited role, it's clear that he was better off with the Patriots. Through four games in Houston, he has nine receptions for 115 yards, all while playing with one year left on his contract.
But why would the Texans move on?
Well, the season hasn't started the way they expected. They are 0-4 on the year with more questions than answers right now. The defense that had long been considered the strength of the team is allowing an average of 27.3 points per game. That doesn't bode well for the Texans down the stretch, even if quarterback C.J. Stroud is playing better than expected.
Another loss on Sunday to the winless Titans would put their entire 2026 season on life support. Perhaps they'd value recouping a draft pick over keeping a player who might not provide as much value to their roster.
On the Patriots' roster, on the other hand, Boutte would immediately plug right back into the mix as another big-bodied downfield target for Maye, who spent significant time building chemistry with the veteran receiver. He would also serve as Brown insurance down the stretch.
If the Patriots could take back the trade that probably should have never happened in the first place, they should absolutely consider it.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Should Patriots and Texans consider trade-back for WR Kayshon Boutte?
