The 2020 draft choice was a healthy scratch in Week 8.
Joshua Uche’s run with the New England Patriots has reached its end after 58 games.
The organization agreed to trade the outside linebacker to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, according to reports from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
A sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft will be heading to Foxborough as part of the exchange.
Uche, 26, resided among the inactives 90 minutes prior to Sunday’s kickoff against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. The Michigan product had re-signed on a one-year, $3 million contract carrying $2.3 million in guarantees as an unrestricted free agent in March. And through seven appearances in a rotational role this fall, one start and two sacks were recorded while seeing 30 percent of the defensive snaps. He had played a season-low 11 downs the week prior.
“It was just a healthy scratch, and we also have to put the best team out there that we think gives us the best chance to win,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said during his Monday video conference after his side moved to a 2-6 record.
Selected in the second round of the 2020 class at No. 60 overall, Uche’s time in the AFC East spanned 76 tackles and 20.5 sacks. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound edge defender set a career high with 11.5 sacks across from traded Pro Bowler Matthew Judon in 2022 while forcing a pair of fumbles.
The NFL trade deadline arrives Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.