Boutte, who was arrested for underage gambling and fraud charges in 2024, revealed this week that he went broke due to a gambling addiction in college.
Kayshon Boutte is in his third season with the Patriots. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Kayshon Boutte follows up on Players’ Tribune article about gambling addiction: After opening up about his struggle with gambling addiction in a Players’ Tribune article, Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is grateful for the opportunity he’s gotten in the NFL.
Boutte, who was arrested in January 2024 for underage gambling and fraud charges, was thankful for the Patriots’ organization for drafting him in 2023 and sticking by him following his arrest as he spoke with reporters about his Players’ Tribune story on Thursday.
“I’ve thought about it, too,” Boutte said when asked if he’s reflected on how grateful he is toward the Patriots for standing by him. “Coming out of college, the main talk was like, character issues, a lot going on, and stuff like that. I felt like when I was getting everything back on with my life, then the gambling stuff came back and caught up to me. I had to go back to Louisiana, turn myself in, had to deal with that. Kind of not knowing how things would go from here.
“I was forever thankful that Bill [Belichick] did give me that opportunity.”
The Patriots selected Boutte out of LSU in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Several months prior, Boutte had been viewed as a potential first-round pick, but injuries and off-field issues, as he mentioned, hurt his draft stock.
In his Players’ Tribune article, Boutte explicitly detailed his gambling problem. He said he lost $90,000 in gambling and went broke as he said he would place wagers from the moment he woke up and in the middle of the night.
As for Boutte’s gambling-related charges, those were later dropped in July 2024 after he completed a gambling awareness program and executed self-ban agreements in Massachusetts and with several sportsbook companies. Investigators also determined that Boutte didn’t bet against himself during his time at LSU.
Boutte said he didn’t necessarily feel a weight get lifted off his shoulders by sharing his story earlier this week. But the article for the Players’ Tribune brought him some comfort.
“I did it two weeks ago and I had time to go over it and look at it,” Boutte said. “But just looking back on it, I wouldn’t say it was a weight, but it felt good to get everything off.”
Boutte told reporters that it was also hard to admit that he needed help battling his gambling addiction, but he’s happy he was able to find the help he needed.
“In the moment, I kind of just said [expletive] it at the time, not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future and everything like that,” Boutte said. “I’m coming to work every day excited. Life can be different if I made the wrong decision. Like I said, I’d rather not live in regret. I don’t want to sit back and think about what life would’ve been without football. I’ve been happy that I’ve been playing it since I was five. So, I’m just happy to be here today.”
Boutte’s story made its way around the Patriots’ locker room, with the third-year wide receiver saying that he had a few people tell him it was a good article.
“It was pretty cool,” Boutte said.
Boutte also had a message for any other players who are also struggling with gambling, or for those who might not be aware of what problems might come from a gambling addiction.
“I think everyone’s situation is different,” Boutte said. “It all kind of depends on how deep in you are. Some people do it just cuz and some do it because that’s all they know, you know? There’s two sides to it. I think what a lot of people fail to realize is that addiction is not always drugs and stuff like that. It can be gambling. A lot of people don’t realize it until it’s too late.”
Trivia: Kayshon Boutte is one of three players the Patriots took in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft who are still with the team. Who are the other two players?
(Hint: One of them is also a wide receiver.)
Answer below.
Scores and schedules:
After spending the last couple of weeks on the West Coast, the Bruins began their five-game homestand with a 4-1 victory over the Flames on Thursday. The Bruins’ homestand continues on Saturday, when they host the Rangers at 1 p.m.
The Celtics’ four-game homestand also continues on Friday. They host the Raptors at 7 p.m. before hosting the Spurs on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Finally, the Patriots are set to play in their first playoff game in four years. They host the Chargers in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. If the Patriots win, they would take on either the Jaguars, Steelers, or Texans in the divisional round.
Read more from Boston.com:
Patriots-Chargers playoff history
Sunday will mark the fifth time the Patriots and Chargers have met in the playoffs. New England has won the last three playoff matchups between the two teams, including a victory in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Arguably, the most memorable Patriots-Chargers playoff matchup came a year prior, when New England got an upset win at San Diego in the divisional round.
The last matchup between the two teams took place in the 2018 postseason, when the Patriots defeated the Chargers, 41-28, in the divisional round.
The Chargers’ lone playoff victory over the Patritos came in the 1963 season, when they defeated New England, 51-10, in the divisional round of the AFL playoffs.
Josh McDaniels praises Drake Maye’s communication:
Ahead of Drake Maye’s postseason debut, one area Patriots offensive coordinator has seen progression from with the second-year quarterback is his ability to communicate with his teammates.
“Do I think that he’s out there saying swear words or anything like that? No, I don’t,” McDaniels told reporters on Thursday. “But I do think he has his way of communicating what he needs and how he thinks and how he feels. None of us have to be the same. Whatever gets it done, or whatever effectively communicates the message to somebody else, I think that’s what he’s learned how to do.”
#Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Drake Maye’s relationship with his teammates:
“He has a great relationship with –– every player on the team honestly. I think he just had this knack about him. Really good person, can create a relationship with basically anybody,”
–@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/a6YeMpXnQi
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) January 8, 2026
On this day:
Seventy-four years ago on Friday, Red Sox great Ted Williams received a surprise recall from the United States Marine Corps as the country was battling in the Korean War. Williams, who was 33 at the time of the recall in 1952, was on a fishing trip in the Florida Everglades when he received the call.
“I’m not different from the next fellow,” Williams told his business manager, Freddie Corcoran. “If Uncle Sam wants me, I’m ready.”
Williams passed his physical in April and was officially recalled into service in May. He flew 39 combat missions in the Korean War, including several as John Glenn’s wingman. Williams returned from duty and rejoined the Red Sox in August 1953.
The U.S. Marines announce they will recall Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams into active duty to serve in the Korean War. Williams will play briefly during the 1952 season but will not return to the Red Sox lineup on a full-time basis until late in 1953. As a pilot in Korea,… pic.twitter.com/YXIyefa1V7
— Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix) January 9, 2026
Daily highlight:
In the first semifinals matchup of the College Football Playoff, Miami (Fla.) took down Ole Miss, 31-27, at the Fiesta Bowl thanks to Carson Beck’s game-winning touchdown run in the final seconds.
Trivia answer: DeMario Douglas and Bryce Baringer
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