Patriots Trade Edge Rusher Josh Uche to Chiefs for 2026 Draft Pick

The New England Patriots have completed their initial transaction prior to the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday that the Patriots will be trading Josh Uche, an edge rusher, to the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Rapoport, the Chiefs will give the Patriots a sixth-round draft pick for the 2026 season as part of the agreement.

“Perry wrote on Twitter/X that it was challenging for him to adapt in New England, as he was specifically expected to rush the passer,” stated NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insider. Maintaining a nonchalant attitude in recent seasons. Now, with a team that will likely experience an increase in clear passing scenarios.

Uche did not play in the Patriots’ 25-22 victory against the New York Jets on Sunday, even though he was not injured, which explains why he was traded shortly after.

The Patriots drafted Uche in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He recorded 20.5 sacks in 58 games throughout his career with the New England team. He had his most successful year in 2022, recording a personal best 11.5 sacks over the course of 15 games. Uche recorded 13 tackles and two sacks in seven games for the Patriots in the current season.

It will be intriguing to see if the Patriots can negotiate trades for other experienced players in the eight days left before the trade deadline.

Chiefs Also Brought in a New Wide Receiver

The Chiefs have needed a wide receiver ever since Rashee Rice got sidelined with a season-ending right knee injury in Week 4. The team had to deal with losing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to a shoulder injury during preseason, and JuJu Smith-Schuster’s hamstring injury from last week means he will miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kansas City Thursday also placed Skyy Moore, wide receiver, on injured reserve due to a core muscle injury.

Hopkins, who has 12 years of experience, is currently in the last year of a two-year contract he agreed to with the Titans in July 2023. He experienced a torn MCL in the offseason but healed in time for the start of the season. In the year 2024, he caught 15 passes for 173 yards and scored a touchdown in six games. The player, who has been selected for the Pro Bowl five times, also has experience playing for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.

Trading for a wide receiver right before the deadline has paid off for the Chiefs in both of the last two seasons. In 2022, the New York Giants traded Kadarius Toney, who scored a touchdown and assisted with another by returning a punt for 65 yards during the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last year, the Chiefs made a trade with the New York Jets to acquire Mecole Hardman. Hardman made the game-winning catch in OT of Super Bowl LVIII, defeating the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Brian Callahan admitted that the trades for linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick signify a shift in plans for the Tennessee Titans, who are currently ranked 1-5 and recently exchanged Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks.