Josh Uche It is actually in motion. The fifth-year forward is being traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs. As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Kansas City will send a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to New England. Rapoport adds. This level of compensation is hardly surprising considering Uche’s free agent status. He is a healthy scratch yesterdayThis is an indication that a trade is possible. He will now make the move after the Patriots opted not to trade in his case last year.

Uche, who was nearing the end of his rookie contract last year, attracted trade interest and the Pats We almost reached an agreement before the deadline. Instead, he stayed put and eventually re-signed to a one-year deal. This deal included a base salary of only $1.3 million, and with the majority of that total already paid, this will be a very low-cost addition for the Chiefs. The league’s only remaining undefeated team will now have another rotation option.

Uche’s best year was 2022, when he had 11.5 sacks. Considering he only logged a 38% snap share that season, expectations were raised for continued production, or at least a heavier workload going forward. Neither has proven to be the case, as the Michigan product has accumulated five total sacks since the start of last season and has recorded a similar number of snaps to earlier in his career. He will be viewed as the third-line specialist once he arrives in Kansas City.

Chiefs of course continued to trust Chris Jones as a key participant in the transition department. The team along the edge Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu with the newly drafted George Karlaftis And Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Uche will aim to act as part of this group as they look to increase their free agent stock. Meanwhile, this move for Kansas City another mid-season addition (following DeAndre Hopkins trade) is seeking a third consecutive Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs entered Monday at the bottom of the league. upper limit areaTherefore, unless it is short-term and low-cost, further moves may be challenging. became Kansas City linked to chasing corners after jaylen watsonhas a (possibly season-ending) injury and it will be interesting to see if anything happens at the position before the November 5 deadline.

Kansas City currently ranks 22nd in the NFL with 15 sacks through seven games. Improvement in this area could provide a significant boost to the league’s No. 5 defense, and Uche will look to contribute on that front. Meanwhile, New England, 2-6 on the year, could be a team to watch from a seller’s perspective regarding next moves.