Why was the Patriots veteran benched against the Jets?

With the NFL trade deadline approaching next week, Joshua Uche was a surprising zero against the Jets.

He Patriots They have been shopping the veteran running back in hopes of getting a fifth-round pick, According to Karen Guregian, but Uche’s playing time has also been dwindling. In the loss to the Jaguars in London, Uche played only 11 snaps. In a conference call Monday morning after a 25-22 loss to the Jets, Jerod Mayo was asked what went into the decision to bench Uche.

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“It was just a healthy scratch and we also (wanted) to put together the best team that would give us the best chance to win,” Mayo said.

In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss which was published on Sunday morning, Uche seemed to be taking the trade rumors in stride.

“Ultimately, I am an employee of the Patriots and if they think it is best for them to trade me, I know they will. If there is an opportunity for them to build for the future, I know they will do it,” Uche told ESPN. “Right now, there are a lot of rumors and a lot of information that (the media) has access to before I do. So we’ll see which of those data materialize, but one thing I know for sure: wherever I am I’m going to play some very good football. At this point, it is what it is.”