The New England Patriots are moving on from a homegrown pass-rusher.
New England is trading Joshua Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs, as first reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo on Monday. The Patriots received a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for the 2020 second-round pick, who signed a one-year deal with the Patriots last offseason. Uche was a healthy scratch in New England’s Week 8 win over the New York Jets this past Sunday.
Uche, who graded as the team’s fourth-best pass-rusher on Pro Football Focus, registered two sacks in seven games (one start) this season. However, he played 35% or more of defensive snaps just twice this season with a primary role as a situational pass-rusher.
The 26-year-old Uche heads to a much better situation with the 7-0 Chiefs standing as the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
