Bill Belichick thinks the Chiefs won the Joshua Uche trade
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick took a subtle jab at the organization for trading away Joshua Uche. The veteran linebacker was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick on Monday.
Belichick drafted Uche in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Uche appeared in 58 games total and recorded 76 combined tackles and 20.5 sacks in his time with the Patriots. He has 13 total tackles and two sacks so far this season.
“They (Chiefs) didn’t give up anything in my mind,” Belichick said on “The Pat McAfee Show,” as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire. “Look, Josh Uche’s a really good rusher. He hasn’t had a chance to rush much this year for the Patriots because they’ve been behind a lot. The situation hasn’t been good.”
It is evident that the Patriots are going in a different direction in terms of personnel moves than they would have under Belichick. It also seems like the legendary coach has disagreed with many of those moves.
They signed linebacker Ochaun Mathis from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, while also signing wide receiver Braylon Sanders to take Mathis’ place on the practice squad.
Mathis has already appeared in three games for the Patriots mostly as a special teams contributor. He has been in on 40 special teams snaps for the team in total, while only contributing on five defensive snaps.
The former sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft has shown some promise as a contributing edge defender for the Patriots. He’ll fit in as a rotational piece behind more established playmakers like Deatrich Wise Jr., Keion White and Anfernee Jennings.
Meanwhile, Sanders will serve as another project receiver for the Patriots to work with behind the scenes. He came into the league as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
There should be plenty of opportunities for him to prove himself in a Patriots receivers’ room with more questions than answers right now.
Bourne has eased his way back into the Patriots offense ever since returning from the ACL injury he suffered last season. He has four catches for 29 yards on the year. Osborn was signed to a one-year deal in free agency in the offseason. He has struggled to find a role in the Patriots offense and has recorded only seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Rapoport and Pelissero believe these two are the most viable candidates for New England to be traded:
While Kendrick Bourne is the receiver who has garnered most of the trade rumors, it would take a large deal to pry him from New England. A more likely trade possibility as a veteran option is Osborn, who is on a one-year deal and has thrived elsewhere.
According to Pro Football Focus, #Chiefs pass-rusher Joshua Uche ranks fifth in the NFL in pressure rate since 2022.
After their Week 8 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs traded a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft to the New England Patriots in exchange for skilled edge rusher Joshua Uche.
The up-and-coming sack-master is expected to become a key part of Kansas City’s pass rush in the coming weeks as the Chiefs look to keep their perfect season alive.
Though Uche’s impact doesn’t always translate directly to the stat sheet, the experts at Pro Football Focus were quick to remind fans why Kansas City would want to bring in a player of his caliber amid the Chiefs’ quest to complete a Super Bowl three-peat.
Take a look at Uche’s impressive numbers below in this tweet that was shared by PFF KC Chiefs after the trade with New England:
BREAKING: The Chiefs have acquired EDGE defender Josh Uche from the Patriots in exchange for a 2026 6th round pick, per @Schultz_Report
See what former #Patriots HC Bill Belichick had to say about the #Chiefs’ trade with New England for pass-rusher Joshua Uche.
The Kansas City Chiefs acquired linebacker Joshua Uche from the New England Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Monday, and legendary head coach Bill Belichick was quick to share his thoughts about his former team’s latest deal on the ‘Pat McAfee Show.’
In his remarks, Belichick seemed to imply that he thought the sixth-round pick that the Patriots received for Uche constituted a relatively minimal return for New England given his status as a more-than-capable pass-rusher.
In adding Uche to their defense, the Chiefs have secured a young contributor who could become a spark plug for star lineman Chris Jones and budding defensive end George Karlaftis.
Listen to Belichick’s full remarks on the trade in this clip, which was posted to Twitter by the ‘Pat McAfee Show’:
“The Chiefs really didn’t give up anything for Josh Uche and he’s a really good pass rusher..
Stay tuned to see if Uche can make an impact for Kansas City when he makes his Chiefs debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 9.
The rich got richer and the broke got even more broke after the New England Patriots traded linebacker Joshua Uche to the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.
Uche being moved isn’t half as surprising as the little return the Patriots got for his services on the market. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs only parted with a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to add the talented pass-rusher to their already elite defensive unit.
That bit might irk fans, but the truth is the Patriots aren’t making decisions from the position of a winning football team. They’re a rebuilding team looking to get whatever they could for a player they didn’t even expect to have this season.
Uche turned down far more lucrative offers to stay in New England on a one-year extension. Having to wait all the way until 2026 to get a return on the trade isn’t ideal, but the Patriots made sure they didn’t walk away empty-handed.
Uche was a great addition to the team, but the defense is more than capable of moving on without him. Anfernee Jennings has proven himself to be a more complete player, particularly in defending against runs on the edge. The Patriots also have their emerging stud pass-rusher, Keion White, along with second-year linebacker Ochaun Mathis, who could be featured more as a rotational piece.
As for the Chiefs, this move should be considered a major steal. They acquired a talented pass-rusher at an absurdly discounted price. Uche re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason.
Now, he’ll play for the unbeaten Chiefs for the same price. General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid continue to play chess while everyone else plays checkers.
On Monday, the Kansas City #Chiefs acquired pass-rusher Joshua Uche in a trade with the New England #Patriots. When will Uche be a free agent?
On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs sent a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for veteran linebacker Joshua Uche.
Uche is on a one-year contract that he signed with New England after he entered free agency after the 2023 season. Uche is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, so the Chiefs will only have his services for a limited time unless they choose to extend him.
It remains unclear if Uche’s addition to Kansas City’s roster was a short or long-term play by general manager Brett Veach, but Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is sure to be thrilled with the move either way.
If the franchise has plans for Uche beyond the end of their 2024 campaign, Veach and Kansas City’s front office will have to get creative to figure out a way to extend him without jeopardizing their ability to retain other talented Chiefs who are also set to enter free agency.
The Kansas City Chiefs have added yet another veteran to the roster via trade to bolster its inevitable playoff push.
After adding wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last week, the team reportedly traded a late 2026 pick on Monday for New England Patriots outside linebacker Joshua Uche.
The former Michigan player is in his fifth year as a pro and adds yet another rotational edge rusher to Kansas City’s excellent defense.
While it may just be a rental, the Chiefs are now better equipped to get after the quarterback in pursuit of their quest for a third straight Super Bowl.
Let’s break down the deal and who came out ahead between these two teams.
This is a “why not?” move for an undefeated Kansas City team that hasn’t even reached its potential yet. Uche has two sacks this season, but he reached 11.5 sacks in a breakout 2022 campaign before falling back to Earth in 2023 (three sacks). Having a player like Uche coming off the bench is exactly what contending teams want. Sending over a low-round pick in 2026 is a no-brainer to make your pass-rushing group even just a little bit better. Winning teams make winning moves, and this is just great business for Kansas City. If Uche can make any impact to help bring home a title, this is a great move. Even if he walks in 2025 as a free agent, the impact is worth the draft pick.
Trade grade: A
David Butler II/Imagn Images
Patriots grade
The Patriots are 2-6 and aren’t going to factor into the postseason discussion unless a major turnaround is in store. Uche was on an expiring contract and didn’t seem to factor into New England’s future at the position. You do wonder if the team could have gotten a better pick, but there’s really no use in playing hypotheticals. It’s a really smart bet for Kansas City, and it’s a mindful move for New England about where it is right now. If you want to quibble about whether the Pats could’ve gotten a fifth-rounder instead of a sixth-rounder, that’s fine. However, this is what rebuilding teams do.
Kansas City #Chiefs acquired LB Joshua Uche in a trade with the New England #Patriots on Monday after their Week 8 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. | @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs continue to add options for their undefeated roster ahead of the trade deadline as they set their sights on a three-peat.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kansas City is acquiring linebacker Joshua Uche from the New England Patriots. Uche is a former Patriots 2020 second-round pick from Michigan who will now be expected to make an impact for the Chiefs during their stretch run to the postseason.
The 26-year-old has had two sacks in six games this season with the rebuilding Patriots and 20.5 sacks in his career. The fifth-year outside linebacker is another pass rusher for the Chiefs, who are fresh off of five sacks in the Week 8 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the breaking news of the trade during his weekly Zoom press conference on Monday.
“I mean, it helps the secondary. Any pressure that you can put on the quarterback, we’re gonna add another guy in here,” said Reid. “(Brett) Veach has made a trade with (the) Patriots, so that’ll be a nice addition going forward, but we understand that you take care of business up front. It helps everybody.”
Uche’s addition to an already dominant Chiefs defense is another reason the team fully trusts general manager Brett Veach and the front office’s decisions.
Patriots LB Joshua Uche has reportedly been traded to the Chiefs
The New England Patriots are reportedly trading veteran linebacker Joshua Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A move appeared imminent in regards to Uche, who was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. The Patriots are in a rebuilding phase, and although Uche is a good football player, he didn’t fit the immediate needs of the team.
His best asset is his pass-rushing skills. The former second-round pick out of Michigan can devastate an opposing offense when he’s able to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback.
That’s the player the Chiefs are looking to get with this move. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the trade is for a sixth-round draft pick in 2026.
The Patriots will move forward with Anfernee Jennings and Keion White picking up the slack for a defense that has now lost Uche and Matthew Judon in the same year.
