When the New England Patriots made Joshua Uche inactive for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Less than 24 hours later, the shoe dropped: The Patriots traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Uche, a former second-round draft pick, is leaving New England after appearing in 59 games. He has 20.5 sacks and two forced fumbles on his resume.

The move seemed inevitable. But was it the right thing? Let's grade.

Joshua Uche: Traded to Chiefs

Bernd Buchmasser: At his best, Uche can be one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL. However, his best of his Patriots career was a rare sight: Aside from an impressive stretch in late 2022, he was never able to string games together consistently. It therefore makes sense to move on from him, even if the return may seem disappointing. Given that he only had five sacks in his last 22 games, nothing more was realistically expected. | B+

Brian Hines: Uche has never been able to repeat his 2022 performance as a pass rusher and has seen his playing time diminish of late after inking a team-friendly deal this offseason. It was clear that it was worth it for New England to secure compensation (even a future sixth-rounder) in return. | b

Matt St Jean: Joshua Uche was a productive player for the Patriots in 2022, but he never found that groove again in New England. Combine that with his limitations as a run defender that make it difficult for him to contribute on early downs, and it felt like he maxed out what he could do here. A 2026 sixth-rounder isn't ideal compensation, but it's better than letting him go for nothing. | b

How would you rate the trade? Please head to the comments section to let us know!