Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One NFC East team is exploring alternatives to a high-profile but injury-plagued wide receiver with uncertain upside.
- The solution could involve a player who just appeared in the Super Bowl and comes with fewer red flags and a lower price tag.
- This potential swap creates roster flexibility for both teams while addressing clear needs on offense for one franchise.
The "will he or won't he" drama about Brandon Aiyuk maybe eventually possibly joining the Washington Commanders is getting so, so, so boring. At this point, I'd put the chances of Aiyuk even playing another NFL snap at under 50 percent, and the chance that he actually ends up being good if he does at an even lower percentage.
The Commanders need to just stop worrying about Aiyuk and move on to a different available wide receiver to help shore up the team's position room. And there's good news on that front: a player who just played in the Super Bowl might be available.
Proposed Commanders-Patriots trade for Kayshon Boutte
Look: New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte doesn't have the upside of Brandon Aiyuk. But when talking about Aiyuk, the word "upside" needs to be preceded by the word "theoretical," because at this point, it's really not clear if Aiyuk actually has upside left. He missed all of the 2025 season and played just seven games in 2024 before a major knee injury ended his season. His recovery didn't go as planned, and then tension with the 49ers meant he never ended up playing last season, so we don't even know if he's actually fully recovered or not.
It would be far cheaper for the Commanders to deal a fifth-round pick to New England for Boutte. The former sixth-round pick out of LSU had some off-field gambling issues during his college career, but those issues haven't seemed to stick around now that he's in the NFL.
After playing sparingly in his first two seasons, Boutte was solid in both 2024 and 2025 for the Patriots, flashing some big-play ability but never quite putting it all together. But with Washington simply not having much talent at wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin, this is a scenario where it can't hurt to take a chance on a guy. It wouldn't take much for Boutte to wind up as a starter in Washington, and he wouldn't come with all the headaches that Aiyuk would. (He's also only 24 years old, so there's long-term upside here with Boutte as a potential building block for this offense.)
Why the Patriots would trade away Boutte
So. if Boutte is so intriguing, why would the Patriots consider moving him? Well, it's a bit of a numbers game here.
New England added a new No. 1 and No. 2 receiver this offseason, bringing in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. While Brown theoretically is the Stefon Diggs replacement, Doubs is just sliding in ahead of everyone else already on the roster. That leaves Boutte to battle for snaps with Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams. That's six wide receivers good enough to see the field, which opens up an opportunity for the Patriots to deal one of those guys for something of value.
And of those guys, Boutte might fetch the best return, as a desperate Commanders team would likely be willing to go as high as a fifth-round pick. You aren't getting that for the other guys, so provided you don't view players like Douglas and Williams as too big of a downgrade from Boutte, you might as well seriously consider making this move. It's one New England can afford thanks to the addition of Doubs.
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