Kayshon Boutte
Getty
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested on illegal gambling charges.
As things stand before training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs appear to still have a need at the wide receiver position.
The leader of the group — Rashee Rice — is coming off a cleanup knee surgery procedure, and has had several off-the-field incidents. Xavier Worthy also had surgery during the offseason, repairing the torn labrum in his right shoulder.
The rest of Kansas City’s receiving corps is largely unproven. While it possesses some intriguing young talent, and a proven WRs coach in Chad O’Shea, there’s little doubt that adding a proven veteran to the group would give the Chiefs’ offense a boost.
Kansas City Chiefs Named Potential Suitor for New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots
GettyPatriots WR Kayshon Boutte
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently made a list of the top players around the NFL who remain on the trading block. Among them was Boutte, who is apart of a crowded Patriots WR room.
“The New England Patriots added their new No. 1 receiver when they acquired A.J. Brown from the Eagles. They also added Romeo Doubs in free agency, which leaves plenty of uncertainty around the future of Kayshon Boutte. Boutte is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and it feels increasingly unlikely that his future will be in New England.”
Knox revealed what it might take to acquire Boutte in a trade, and listed the Chiefs as a potential suitor for the talented receiver.
“New England is hoping to get a third-round pick in exchange for Boutte. At that price, Boutte would be a tremendous value for a receiver-needy team. The LSU product has topped 500 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, and at just 24 years old, he may not be close to reaching his NFL ceiling. He averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per catch in 2025 while providing a quarterback rating of 133.2 when targeted.”
Boutte would give Kansas City’s WR corps a big boost and provide some much-need depth. If he fit into the Chiefs’ offense well, they could commit to him for the future as Rice likely isn’t retained beyond the 2026 season.
Chiefs Named Potential Suitor for Buffalo Bills WR Joshua Palmer
Josh Palmer
GettyBills WR Joshua Palmer
Knox also believes Kansas City could be interested in Palmer, who has proven NFL experience and is still a young player.
“The Buffalo Bills appear to have missed when they signed Joshua Palmer to a three-year, $29 million contract last offseason. Palmer was limited by ankle and knee injuries, and he did have some bright moments, but the 26-year-old’s production never quite matched his price point. Palmer recorded a career-low 303 receiving yards in 2025.”
Like Boutte, Palmer finds himself potentially buried on the depth chart heading into 2026, but could get more opportunties with a team that has a less proven WR group.
“Now that the Bills have added D.J. Moore and rookie Skyler Bell, they may be willing to get out from under Palmer’s contract. Now that June 1 has passed, Buffalo can save $10.1 million in 2026 cap space by trading him. And while Palmer’s 2025 season with the Bills was underwhelming, he’d still have value to another receiver-needy team. He averaged more than 500 receiving yards during his four seasons as a complementary target with the Los Angeles Chargers.”
Acquiring Palmer would be a bit trickier, as he is carrying a $11,750,000 salary cap hit for the 2026 season. The Chiefs could restructure that number, but that’s not guaranteed to happen. The Bills could also be hesitant to trade a quality player to their biggest rival. If the two sides were able to strike a deal, Palmer would be a nice fit in K.C.’s offense if healthy.