Doing the Super Bowl champions a favor is a curious move, but that’s what the New England Patriots have done by trading edge-rusher Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The deal was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday, October 28.
It’s modest compensation, and not what the Patriots hoped to get for a situational pass-rusher who recorded double-digit sacks just two years ago.
Patriots Got Less Than They Wanted to Josh Uche
The Patriots were hoping to get more for Uche than what the Chiefs gave. That’s according to MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian, who revealed, “One executive told me last week they were hoping to land a 5th rounder for Uche, but would likely get a 6th round pick.”
It’s not like the Patriots were fleeced on the trade market, but they ultimately had to settle for what they could get for a player whose production declined. Uche logged 11.5 sacks in 2022, but he managed just three QB takedowns a season ago.
The dip in Uche’s performances could be attributed to Matthew Judon landing on injured reserve with a biceps problem in 2023. Four-time Pro Bowler Judon was then traded to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason.
Uche still re-signed with the Pats in free agency, but he struggled to get onto the field. The 26-year-old played just 35 percent of New England’s defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
Despite the drop in his numbers, Uche remained a useful member of a pass rush struggling for consistency this season. The Pats have logged just 15 sacks through eight games, but still declared Uche a healthy scratch for Week 8’s 25-22 win over the New York Jets.
It was a sign of the inevitable for a player who seemed to know what was coming after long being the subject of trade rumors.
Patriots Going in Different Direction Defensively
Uche had the sense he might move on before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, November 5. He told ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “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 come 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 making a move happen shows the team is going in a different direction defensively. Particularly along the front seven.
Uche possesses niche pass-rush skills, but he lacks the all-round game to be an every-down edge-setter in this system. It’s a problem described by Chad Graff of The Athletic, who noted “Uche was never able to carve out a role with the Patriots as more than a pass-rush specialist for a team that values setting the edge in the run game.”
An incumbent outside linebacker like Anfernee Jennings is more suited to the defense called by Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. It’s a fluid system, opponent-specific and more read-and-react than the complex, blitz-centric defense Uche will play for Steve Spagnuolo with the Chiefs.
What Covington and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo are banking on is being able to confuse offenses with disguise, moving parts and coverage. Not overt and relentless pressure.
It’s a gamble for a unit already struggling for cohesion and consistency.
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