Patriots LB Joshua Uche reportedly receiving trade interest around the NFL

ESPN reported that teams are expressing interest in the fifth-year player ahead of the league’s trade deadline next month.

Joshua Uche turned down more money elsewhere to remain with the Patriots when he was a free agent this past offseason.

Now, the fifth-year linebacker is receiving trade buzz around the NFL, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler named the Lions as one of multiple teams interested in acquiring Uche ahead of the league’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.

“The Lions are doing their due diligence on the pass-rush market, looking for help replacing Aidan Hutchinson (tibia/fibula),” he wrote. “Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith could also be a name to watch here. And teams have interest in Pats sub rusher Joshua Uche, too. … Uche and Smith are on low-base salaries this year (Smith at $1.2 million, Uche at $1.3 million), which makes them quite tradeable.”

Uche, 26, inked a one-year, $3 million contract extension with New England in March. He reportedly rejected a $15 million deal from an another team before agreeing to the far-lower-paying Patriots offer.

After signing the extension, Uche explained why he opted to stay in New England and play for rookie head coach Jerod Mayo in 2024.

“It was interesting. I had a lot of people calling me crazy,” he said in April. “A lot of people focusing on the financial parts of the decision. But I feel like the team that gave me an opportunity, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I can’t envision myself playing for another team. However that shakes out, I know at the end of the day, the ball was in my court, and this is the dream that I wanted to fulfill, to be a Patriot.”

Uche had a career year back in 2022 when he collected 23 solo tackles, 11.5 sacks, and the only two forced fumbles of his career thus far. However, he hasn’t put up those numbers since and his playing time has declined in favor of LBs such as Anfernee Jennings and Marte Mapu.

Before last year’s trade deadline, the Patriots were reportedly “open” to dealing Uche away.

Given his lack of production this season and the fact that he’s on an expiring contract again, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots dealt him this time around.