Patriots trade veteran player for peanuts even after he turned down more money to stay in New England
The New England Patriots are the latest team to utilize the NFL's trade deadline: Veteran pass rusher Josh Uche has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.The Chiefs are clearly attempting to upgrade their pass rush and Uche should be able to help […]
The New England Patriots are the latest team to utilize the NFL's trade deadline: Veteran pass rusher Josh Uche has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs are clearly attempting to upgrade their pass rush and Uche should be able to help them do that. He currently has 2.0 sacks on the year while playing 35% of defensive snaps. He's two years removed from an 11.5 sack campaign, so there's evidence that he can play at a high level in the NFL.
The move comes less than a day after the Patriots' huge comeback win over the New York Jets in Gillette Stadium.
For those who don't remember, back in March, Uche turned down a lot of money in free agency in order to stay with the Patriots. Some reports stated he even turned down a one-year $15 million deal and opted to go with the Pats' one-year $3 million, instead.
“It was interesting. I had a lot of people calling me crazy,” Uche said back in April. “A lot of people focusing on the financial parts of the decision, but I feel like the team that gave me an opportunity, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I can’t envision myself playing for another team. However it shakes out, I know at the end of the day, the ball was in my court, and this is the dream that I wanted to fulfill, to be a Patriot.”
The NFL is a brutal business and Uche just experienced how ugly it can be first-hand. Now, the goal is to have a big second half, get a ring, and enter free agency aiming for a big contract.
