Mike Vrabel says new Texans' receiver Kayshon Boutte would have been inactive had he not been traded — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

Mike Vrabel says new Texans' receiver Kayshon Boutte would have been inactive had he not been traded — Yahoo Sports | AIPROPX

Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots congratulates wide receiver Kayshon Boutte #9 after a play in the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

The Houston Texans traded for Kayshon Boutte this week with hopes that he will be a solid No. 2 receiver for them behind Nico Collins. That's why it was a little shocking to hear Mike Vrabel say Thursday night that if the New England Patriots hadn't dealt Boutte, he likely wouldn't have seen the field for them because of their improved depth at the position.

Boutte's 33 receptions last season was fifth on the Patriots squad, although two of the players ahead of him were tight end Hunter Henry and running back TreVeyon Henderson. His 551 yards was third on the team and his six touchdown catches was second. Still, in the offseason, the Patriots traded for three-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown and signed former Packers receiver A.J. Doubs as a free agent. Those two are going to be New England's top options at receiver with DeMario Douglas also expected to get plenty of time. The backups are Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams, who both play special teams, something Boutte hasn't done since he entered the league in 2023.

"It was one place where we do have some depth," Vrabel told reporters after the Patriots' final preseason game Thursday night. "I think for all parties involved, that was probably the best thing. Without injuries, Kayshon probably would've been inactive, unfortunately. Just kind of the way it was with him not playing special teams."

The Texans traded a 2028 seventh-round pick and second-year safety Jaylen Reed for Boutte earlier this week, a few days after losing their No. 2 receiver Jayden Higgins to injury .

Boutte, who caught a touchdown over Texans' All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., in last season's playoff game , was with the team this week in Charlotte, N.C., for a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, but didn't participate in team drills, instead working off to the side with a trainer.

Vrabel said he "tried to thank Kayshon as many times as I could," after the trade, then complimented the 24-year-old from New Iberia, La., for how he publicly owned up to his gambling addiction, which the former LSU star wrote about in an essay for The Players' Tribune in January . The state of Louisiana charged Boutte with underage gambling in 2024, but the charges later were dropped and he wasn't suspended by the NFL. In the essay, Boutte estimated that he gambled away about $90,000 while he was in college before overcoming his addiction.

"His maturity, his growth, his ability to put into words last year and share his own personal struggle, but also the growth that he made from that," Vrabel said. "That's positively going to affect a lot of people. I know that wasn't easy for him to do. I tell him all the time how much I respect him for being able to do that."

There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at Mike Vrabel says new Texans' receiver Kayshon Boutte would have been inactive had he not been traded .