Patriots rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte ‘trending in the right direction’

Boutte has not played since Week 1.

The Kayshon Boutte saga has gone international.

As Bill Belichick took the podium on Friday at the DFB Campus in Germany, he was asked about the rookie wide receiver suiting back up Sunday for the first time since Week 1.

“We’ll see how all that goes,” Belichick said. “Kayshon’s had a good couple weeks here. It’s definitely trending in the right direction. That’s been good.”

Prior to last week’s game against the Washington Commanders, Belichick shared that Boutte had his “best week” of practice thus far. Still, however, the receiver was a healthy inactive for the eighth straight week.

Boutte has not seen the field since Week 1 when DeVante Parker was out due to injury. The rookie was targeted four times in his debut but failed to haul any of them in, including a crucial fourth-down pass with 29 seconds left when he failed to get his second foot inbounds.

When Parker was again sidelined last week with a concussion, New England instead relied on the likes of Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Reagor. It did not go well, as Mac Jones was 2-of-10 for 18 yards when targeting the duo. Thornton was additionally benched after three offensive series.

With Parker out again this week, it might open the door for Boutte to get back on the field. It looked that way as New England took the field for practice Friday in Frankfurt, as Boutte was on the field with Mac Jones and the first-team offense in DeVante Parker’s typical X spot during non-competitive 7-on-7 drills.

The sixth-round pick was a former five-star recruit and was once regarded as a top NFL Draft prospect early in his college career. Injuries and a disappointing final season on and off the field at LSU — and at the Combine — led to Boutte falling to Day 3. However, he flashed his potential throughout the summer during training camp and the preseason, specifically against the Green Bay Packers when he took a slant 42 yards for a touchdown.

Now, it’s worth getting another look at that potential in-game action to see what Boutte can provide to this struggling offense.