Brown was supposed to be the missing piece for the New England Patriots. But he left Wednesday's season-opening loss to the Seahawks with an ankle injury, ending his Patriots debut with just three catches for 26 yards. Making matters worse, an MRI later confirmed a high ankle sprain, and on Friday the team placed the star receiver on injured reserve.
That means he'll miss at least the next four games — not exactly the start he or Patriots fans were hoping for after the team traded for him back in June. What makes the situation even worse, though, is that New England recently traded away a player who could have filled in right away with Brown sidelined, Kayshon Boutte. "I think it's fair to revisit the Kayshon Boutte trade too, in terms of they felt that was a position of surplus," Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm said Friday.
"They can afford to deal that guy because they're worried about, 'Okay, we're not going to pay him; let's get rid of him now; this is the best time.' But they get a reserve safety and a low-round pick in return. And now, boy, he'd be worth a little bit more than that in this offense right at this moment." More news: Rams DC Chris Shula Comes Under Fire After Ugly Loss to 49ers When the Patriots traded Boutte, he was coming off a strong 2025 season, hauling in 551 yards and six touchdowns on 33 catches, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. For a former sixth-round pick, that's about as much as you could ask for from a player who quickly became one of the team's most explosive receiving threats.
But when the Houston Texans lost breakout candidate Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL, they moved to trade for Boutte, and New England felt confident enough in its receiving corps to let him go. More news: Cardinals Get Good News on Rookie RB Jeremiyah Love Days Before Season Opener More news: Patriots Make Move to Beef Up Defensive Line After Rough Loss to Seahawks Trade rumors had been swirling for months after the team brought in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, clearly viewing Boutte as the odd man out.
Still, he was a clear upgrade over other pieces on the Patriots' roster, such as Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams. Now, with Brown set to miss the next month and Doubs struggling in his own Patriots debut, there's real concern over who steps up as Drake Maye's go-to target. Boutte could have been that guy, but hindsight's 20/20, as they say.
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