Ja’Lynn Polk facing uphill battle to remain on Patriots in 2025

Ja’Lynn Polk is one of many players attempting to stand out for the Patriots in training camp this summer. This time last year, the Patriots had one of the worst receiver rooms in the league. Polk figured to play a major role in that room as a rookie, though, and people were optimistic that the Washington product could develop into a nice player.

It’s still to early to write Polk off completely, but it’s not looking good. Polk struggled to do much of anything as a rookie, and ended with just 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. It was discouraging to see Polk be such a non-factor when the Patriots desperately needed some guys to step up.

This summer, Polk has done nothing to help his case. The receiver missed the first week of camp due to a soft-tissue injury, and those were valuable reps for a young receiver. Even since coming back, Polk has failed to stand out much, as Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, and even Javon Baker have all made more plays.

Conor Ryan of Boston.com recently identified the players who have hurt and helped their stocks this offseason. Naturally, Polk is on the list as one of the players who’s stock is down.

Regarding Polk’s status, Ryan offered the following:

Still, Polk is staring at an uphill climb when it comes to breaking camp in an already crowded receiver room.

Beyond missing the first week of camp due to some nagging injuries, Polk hasn’t exactly separated himself from the pack so far, especially when it comes to other wideouts who could be on the bubble, like Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker.

Yes, Polk is a second-year player and a former second-round pick. But, with a new coaching staff in place in New England, Polk’s lofty draft status may not hold much weight as to whether or not the Patriots will retain him moving forward.

As Ryan mentioned, Polk was facing an uphill climb even before you factor in that a new coaching staff is in place that is not connected to him. Even considering Polk was a second-round pick last year, Mike Vrabel will not keep a receiver around who is not up to his standard. The coach has previously voiced frustration with soft-tissue injuries, so the writing could be on the wall for Polk.