Josh Uche Keeps Heading in Wrong Direction After Patriots Split

We’re currently in the third week of NFL free agency, and the New England Patriots have been quite busy bolstering their roster for the 2026 season. The Patriots added multiple veteran free agents, including WR Romeo Doubs, pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones, and safety Kevin Byard III, who they hope will help them get back to the Super Bowl.

In the meantime, several former Patriots are either searching for a new home, such as Stefon Diggs, or have found a new opportunity, like Josh Uche. Uche, who spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, signed with the Miami Dolphins.

The former second-round pick has bounced around the league since he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. The hope at the time was that Uche could be an immediate contributor on the Patriots’ defense, but it wasn’t meant to be.

His New England tenure was a rollercoaster ride, and now he’s trying to reignite his career with one of the worst teams in football, the Dolphins.

Josh Uche Still Struggling to Find His Footing Post-Patriots’ Career
The former Michigan outside linebacker didn’t do much in his first two years with the Pats, as he had four sacks across 21 games. Injuries plagued Uche, who had two separate injured reserve stints, thanks to ankle, back, and shoulder injuries.

However, in 2022, things suddenly started to turn around for the former second-round pick, who had a career-high 14 quarterback hits, 11.5 sacks, and nine tackles for loss despite not starting in a single game (15 games).

After erupting for 11.5 sacks and finally living up to his potential, the hope was that Uche was ready to take off the next season. That didn’t happen as Uche fell back to his old ways, posting five sacks in his last 22 games in New England.

The veteran pass rusher was sent packing ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, joining the Chiefs, who needed more depth on the defensive line. Uche didn’t make a significant impact, as he had 10 combined tackles in six games.

From there, the Chiefs didn’t re-sign Uche, who took his talent to Philadelphia on a one-year deal. Again, Uche ended up in a situation with the Eagles, where they needed pass rush talent, and he could use the opportunity to showcase his skills.

But Uche had a quiet stint in Vic Fangio’s scheme, recording three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and a sack in 12 games. Between Weeks 1-8 last season, the former Patriot played 39 percent of defensive snaps and 38.2 percent of special teams snaps.

Once the Eagles officially added Brandon Graham back into the fold and acquired Jaelan Phillips, Uche fell out of the rotation. He only appeared in four games after Week 8, where he played 14.8% of defensive snaps.

From there, the Chiefs didn’t re-sign Uche, who took his talent to Philadelphia on a one-year deal. Again, Uche ended up in a situation with the Eagles, where they needed pass rush talent, and he could use the opportunity to showcase his skills.

But Uche had a quiet stint in Vic Fangio’s scheme, recording three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and a sack in 12 games. Between Weeks 1-8 last season, the former Patriot played 39 percent of defensive snaps and 38.2 percent of special teams snaps.

Once the Eagles officially added Brandon Graham back into the fold and acquired Jaelan Phillips, Uche fell out of the rotation. He only appeared in four games after Week 8, where he played 14.8% of defensive snaps.