Replacing an injured DeVante Parker, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was on the field for 55 of the New England Patriots’ 80 offensive snaps in the season opener against Philadelphia. Despite a prominent workload, however, the rookie was unable to answer the call: all four of the passes thrown his way ended up incomplete, including two because he failed to get his second foot down in bounds.
Since then, the rookie has been shut down. A healthy scratch in six of the seven subsequent games, and a one-time inactive due to a hamstring injury, the youngster has been unable to get a chance at redemption.
With the Patriots’ wide receiver group suffering some high-profile injuries lately, however, the door has again opened for him. This time, Boutte is trying his best to make sure not to let the opportunity pass.
“Practice makes preparation,” he told reporters in the locker room on Thursday. “How you practice is how you play. I feel like practice reps, the plays we do translate to the game. It is the game plan.”
The Patriots saw two members of their starting lineup go down last Sunday versus the Miami Dolphins. First, DeVante Parker suffered a concussion on an unpenalized helmet-to-helmet hit. Shortly thereafter, receiving leader Kendrick Bourne exited the game due to what was later diagnosed as a torn ACL.
With Bourne out for the year and Parker also unlikely to play this week versus the Washington Commanders, the depth at the position is being tested. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said as much on Tuesday when he talked about New England’s wide receivers having a “big week” ahead of them.
For Boutte, this might be his biggest week since that fateful season opener.
“It’s been a big week. Injuries happen in and out throughout the NFL. That’s part of the game. It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the game,” he said. “So, he kind of preached to us about us having to step up. Being out since the first week, coming in, it’s huge expectations. Just approach this week harder than ever.”
A five-star recruit entering the college level, he joined LSU in 2020 and delivered an impressive freshman campaign. But while he was unable to build on it, Boutte still ended up starting 21 of his 27 games during his three years as a Tiger.
Things have not gone quite as smoothly at the pro level. Having to wait until the sixth round of the draft to hear his name called, he ended up in New England on the roster bubble.
He did make the team and, as noted above, saw plenty of snaps in his debut, but it has been a quiet season since then — an unfamiliar position for the 21-year-old.
“It’s been difficult,” he said. “Coming from college, playing every game, wish that translated to the NFL. Playing only one, unfortunately. Things happened the way they did, but that’s part of the game. Just a learning experience. It’s been seven weeks and now my name’s being called, so I just have to step up.”
Despite his prolonged inactivity, however, Boutte was trying his best to be supportive of his team.
“Biggest thing I learned is even with things not going my way just being there for my teammates,” he said. “Going to games, supporting them, showing them that when things aren’t on me I’m still able to be there for them.”
With two of those teammates now out for the foreseeable future, the Patriots have turned to him again. Together with fellow depth receivers Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Reagor, he will try to complement projected starters Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster as best as he can.
And despite how his rookie regular season went so far, Boutte appears to have little doubt in his mind that he can and will can do that.
“How the season went, it’s all about everybody, their own person. So, when you go on the field it’s about what you can do,” he said. “I feel like the things I’m able to do help me have faith in myself and my abilities that I’ll be able to go out there and perform.”
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November 03, 2023 at 03:43AM
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Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte opens up about ‘difficult’ rookie season - Pats Pulpit
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