Despite his absence from the voluntary offseason program and rabid speculation about his interest in a trade, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte said he will attend the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp this week.
The 24-year-old confirmed his plans with WBZ Saturday afternoon at King Street Memorial Park in Franklin, Mass., where Boutte invited fans on social media to join him for some pickup touch football and basketball games as he trained ahead of his fourth season in the NFL.
“I try not to buy into it,” Boutte told the station. “At the end of the day I can control what I can control. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do off the field, everything else will play out.”
Multiple reports have surmised that a potential trade for Boutte could be on the horizon.
Not only did Boutte skip out on the voluntary sessions for the first time in his career, but the Patriots are experiencing a bit of a log jam in the wide receiver room following the blockbuster addition of A.J. Brown and the signing of Romeo Doubs.
The 2026 season will be an important one for Boutte, who is set to become a free agent next year.
Drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2023, Boutte had an underwhelming rookie season before hitting his stride. He has since topped 500 receiving yards in each of the last two years.
In 29 games over the last two seasons, the LSU product posted 76 receptions for 1,140 yards with nine touchdowns. The likelihood of Boutte having to take a backseat role in the passing game amid the latest additions has certainly helped fuel the trade rumors.
The Patriots could always dub him as a secondary target for quarterback Drake Maye as well.
