The Patriots made a move earlier this week, trading Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

At face value, it would seem like a slightly underwhelming return, given that the 2020 second-round pick is just two seasons removed from recording 11.5 sacks. 

But according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Patriots might have had additional reasons for moving on from the pass-rusher. 

“(The Patriots) felt like he wasn’t taking the coaching, like he was playing outside the defense too much, like he wasn’t dependable — and just a little bit like he wasn’t on board with where things were under (head coach) Jerod Mayo,” Breer said on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition. 

“And the way I look at it, this is a crucial time for them to have guys on board, especially when they are guys that you’ve actually rewarded and paid. So a guy like that — he’s not on board, you have a landing spot for him, you send him away.”

The return that the Patriots received for Uche drew some criticism from Bill Belichick, who stressed that Kansas City would receive a 2026 sixth-round comp pick if they let Uche walk in free agency in 2025. 

“Okay, so a 2026 6th rounder, they take them this year. If they don’t re-sign him, they’ll probably get a sixth as a comp pick. So it washes out,” Belichick said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “If they do re-sign him, then that means they like the player, and the player can help them win. And so it’s a great trade. So, I mean, I think it’s a great trade for Kansas City.

“It sounds like the Patriots probably could have got more for him last week, but … it sounds like it didn’t work out.”

Uche’s recent dip in production (two sacks in seven games), limited reps (11 snaps in Week 7 vs. Jacksonville), and expiring contract might have limited his trade value for New England. 

But Breer stressed that a 2026 sixth-round selection might have been the best offer on the table for New England when it came to Uche. 

“My understanding is the Chiefs were the only team to offer them a pick, period, clean,” Breer said. “There were other teams that were willing to come in and give them a pick swap where it’s like, ‘You go with a six and we get a five back.’

“The Chiefs were the only team that offered them a pick clean where they would just get the pick and that was it.”

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Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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