Jerod Mayo Gives Update On Patriots Wideout After Offseason Arrest

The New England Patriots easily could have cut ties with Kayshon Boutte this offseason after he was arrested in late January on gambling charges.

But the Patriots continue to stand by the 21-year-old, who allegedly made more than 8,900 bets over a 13-month period, including placing a minimum of six wagers on the LSU football team while he played for the Tigers. Boutte is faced with a felony charge of computer fraud and one misdemeanor count of gambling under the age of 21.

First-year head coach Jerod Mayo addressed Boutte’s off-field issues for the first time Monday at the AFC Coaches’ Breakfast and offered support to the young wide receiver.

“We’re continuing to gather information on that. He’s still on the team,” Mayo told reporters, per MassLive’s Chris Mason. “Hopefully we can continue to develop this player, but really develop him as a man as well going forward. I think it’s important to remember some of these guys are very young and they’ve made mistakes in the past. It’s easy to just throw them away but there are certain instances where you’re like, ‘All right, I can can help this guy out.’ And I feel like we have a good player development group there that will definitely help us going forward.”

Boutte’s alleged gambling started in April 2022 and ended in May 2023, shortly after the Patriots drafted him in the sixth round. According to Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Boutte put over $130,000 into his gambling account and won $556,267.58, but primarily used his winnings to make other bets. He ended up taking a little over $50,000 out of the account, per Kyed and Callahan.

The investigation into Boutte is still ongoing and even if he skirts legal trouble, he could face punishment from the NFL. The NFL opened its own investigation into Boutte’s alleged gambling not long after his arrest.

Boutte appeared in just five games as a rookie for the Patriots, making just two catches for 19 yards. He’s situated well down New England’s depth chart at receiver, meaning that if the Patriots do hold onto him, it’s still going to be difficult for him to earn playing time.