Patriots
“All I can do is have a good mindset, keep coming in here and working, getting better, finish out this season strong, and go attack the offseason.”
When the Patriots selected Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Washington wideout was tabbed as a high-floor, safe option for a Patriots team looking to surround Drake Maye with some weapons.
Even if Polk wasn’t as dynamic out of the slot as Ladd McConkey, the Washington wideout was viewed as a dependable pass-catcher who would be far from a liability on a roster.
Of course, the exact opposite has played out for Polk in a lost rookie season.
After impressing during training camp while forging chemistry with Maye, Polk has struggled to find any semblance of traction in Foxborough.
Through 15 games this year, Polk has only reeled in 12 catches for 87 total yards. Multiple drops have eroded Polk’s confidence, leading to a stark drop in snaps over the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.
While drafting skill players inevitably involves some sort of gamble when it comes to forecasting production at football’s highest level, Polk’s seemingly done a complete 180 from his projected profile coming out of college.
It’s a regression that even has Polk at a loss entering Week 18.
“I wish I could give you an explanation,” Polk told MassLive’s Mark Daniels when asked about his playing time. “I don’t worry about things I can’t control. Just keep coming to work every day and do what my coaches ask me to do. Just keep having a good mindset to support the ones around me – my brothers in the receiving room, support the guys on the team, and get ready every day.”
After a steady start where Polk recorded eight catches for 61 yards over his first four weeks, those uncharacteristic drops started to hamstring his confidence. Over his next three games against the Dolphins, Texans, and Jaguars, Polk only reeled in two catches off of a whopping 13 targets between Jacoby Brissett and Maye.
Despite his pledge that he had the “best hands in the league,” Polk’s struggles started to compound as his reps dried up.
Despite Jerod Mayo’s hopes of giving Polk and fellow rookie Javon Baker more reps down the final weeks of the 2024 season, Polk has only played 15 offensive snaps over the last two weeks against the Bills and Chargers. His last catch came on Nov. 24 against the Dolphins.
In a season that quickly gone off the rails, Polk acknowledged to Daniels that he still has more to give — while stressing that he hopes to end the year on a high note against the Bills.
“It’s frustrating in ways. That goes to the part of patience and trust in your process and journey,” Polk said. “It don’t always work out how you want it to work out. Life don’t work that way. I understand it’s going to get better.
“I don’t question why things are going the way they are right now because I know things will be better. I can’t put a time on it. All I can do is have a good mindset, keep coming in here and working, getting better, finish out this season strong, and go attack the offseason.”
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