Patriots trade edge rusher to defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs
The Patriots made their first trade ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline when they traded Josh Uche to the Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Uche was a healthy scratch ahead of the Patriots’ 25-22 win over the Jets on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
“It was just a healthy scratch, and we also wanted to put the best team out there that gives us the best chance to win,” head coach Jerod Mayo said of Uche’s absence early on Monday morning, ahead of his impending trade.
Uche’s playing time had drastically dwindled down over the last few weeks, including playing just 11 snaps against the Jaguars in London. Uche was outspoken to the media about potentially moving on from the Patriots either in a trade or at the end of the season.
“Ultimately, I am an employee of the Patriots, and if they think it’s in their best interest to trade me, I know they’ll do so. If there is an opportunity for them to build for the future, I know they’re going to do so,” Uche said to ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Sunday. “At this point in time, there are a lot of rumors and a lot of information that media have access to before I do. So we’ll see which one of those pieces of information comes to materialize, but I know one thing for sure: Wherever I’m at, I’m going to play some damn good football. At this point, it is what it is.”
The Patriots re-signed Uche during the offseason to a one-year, $3 million deal. He took less money to remain with the Patriots because Uche said he was “destined to be a Patriot.” He will now join the undefeated Chiefs (7-0) and will bring 13 tackles (10 solo), two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, and two sacks to Kansas City.
