Patriots’ Receiver Reveals How Belichick’s Bench Decision Sparked Growth

Kayshon Boutte’s growth from Year 1 to Year 2 is certainly starting to show over the New England Patriots’ past few games.

The receiver went through a lot his first year, both on and off the field.

And all of that contributed to his change in mindset.

“We all know I got sidelined after the first game, Eagles, with Bill Belichick,” Boutte said. “So just coming back this season, I kinda sat with coach Mayo and stuff and I was just like, I refuse to go through the same sh*t I did last year.

“So I would say just my mindset shifted, knowing that I want to be on the field, be one of those top players. So that’s where I’m at in my career.”

In his rookie season, Boutte finished with two receptions for 19 yards across five games.

But already throughout the 2024 season, he has eight receptions for 139 total yards and one touchdown across five games.

He has proven himself to be one of Drake Maye’s most reliable targets, which is necessary considering all the issues on offense right now.

However, despite his current success, Boutte had some legal issues during the offseason. 

He was arrested in January after being charged with computer fraud due to bets he made while he played at LSU. He was released from jail after posting a $600,000 bond later that same day.

Boutte was accused of creating an online betting account under a fake name and then proceeded to place illegal bets while he was under the age of 21. During that time, he allegedly earned more than $500,000 in winnings, having placed nearly 9,000 illegal bets. 17 of those bets were said to be on college football games, including six that included LSU.

But the charges were dropped in the middle of July, just before training camp began.

So he was able to just focus on football. 

Throughout training camp, many had Boutte on the bubble for making the 53-man roster. It was a crowded receiver room, and the team had Jalen Reagor at the time, who had a solid camp.

But they kept Boutte, and he has proved why he deserved that spot through his efforts on the field.

The Maye to Boutte connection has been fun to watch over the past two weeks, so hopefully we will see more of it as the Patriots try to turn their rough season around.

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