Who Should I Start? Kayshon Boutte or Arian Smith

Wednesday, November 5, 1:34 PM

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) will not practice with the team on Wednesday, per Patriots.com's Evan Lazar. With a DNP to begin the week, Boutte is in danger of missing the Week 10 game in Tampa against the Buccaneers after he injured his hamstring in the Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons and was unable to return to the contest. The 23-year-old third-year receiver ended his streak of three straight games finding the end zone as a result, and he failed to catch his only target last Sunday before leaving the game. DeMario Douglas only played 24% of the offensive snaps against the Falcons, but he benefited from Boutte's injury to go for a season-high 100 receiving yards and his third touchdown of 2025 on four catches. Douglas, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams would see expanded roles if Boutte is unable to play this weekend.

Saturday, October 25, 4:22 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith should again see a substantial uptick in playing time when his team squares off with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. The rookie played a season-high in snap share (92%) last weekend, with fellow wideout Garrett Wilson (knee) tending to injury. However, he failed to net positive yardage on 1-of-3 receiving. Smith will get another chance to make an impact this Sunday, although it's currently difficult to trust any of the Jets' skill position players with the offense failing to perform. Furthermore, head coach Aaron Glenn's refusal to name a starting quarterback muddies the situation further, adding an extra variable. With Wilson set to miss another game, and Josh Reynolds (hip) questionable with an injury of his own, Smith will have a chance to lead New York's WR corps if both are inactive. Even still, he's nothing more than a long shot with New York's offense looking woefully outmatched.