Patriots, Texans Make Surprise Kayshon Boutte Trade After Higgins' Injury, New NFL Rumors Reveal

The New England Patriots are reportedly trading wideout Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a draft pick, per The Ringer's Tom Pelissero.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Patriots will get a seventh-round pick in the deal:

The deal comes in the wake of Houston receiver Jayden Higgins suffering a season-ending ACL tear.

Boutte, 24, caught 78 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns in his three seasons for the Patriots after being a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

But with the Patriots adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason, DeMario Douglas set to handle slot duties, Kyle Williams impressing during the preseason and both Mack Hollins and Efton Chism III available as depth, Boutte was clearly expendable. Keeping seven receivers on the roster never seemed likely.

The Texans, meanwhile, very much needed another option after the Higgins loss. Nico Collins will lead the passing attack but there aren't many trustworthy options behind him, with the oft-injured Tank Dell, second-year man Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson the main options in that regard. The team did sign veterans Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones on Friday, however, and Boutte will be expected to carve out a role for himself as well.

Given C.J. Stroud's struggles last season, an uninspiring group of receivers behind Collins and one of the NFL's best defenses, it wouldn't be surprising if the Texans relied heavily on the running back duo of David Montgomery and Woody Marks, hoping to control time of possession and grind out wins.

But when they do need to open up the passing game, adding Boutte should benefit the effort.