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Patriots rookie Ja’Lynn Polk posts cryptic message online amid tough stretch
"Yeah, we need more from Polk."
Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk has fallen into a rut over the last few weeks.
Less than a week after Jerod Mayo called out the 2024 second-round pick for his recent struggles with drops, Polk had another game to forget during Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars.
Polk finished New England’s 32-16 loss with zero catches off of three targets, failing to make an impact in a game where DeMario Douglas was already limited due to illness.
While all three of Polk’s targets weren’t tabbed as outright drops on the statsheet (usually due to the presence of a Jacksonville defender in the immediate vicinity), it’s been tough sledding for Polk as of late.
Through seven games, Polk now has 10 catches off of 26 total targets. To make matters worse, Polk slipped on New England’s two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter — scuttling the team’s chances of making it a seven-point game in crunch time.
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“Yeah, we need more from Polk,” Mayo said postgame of the rookie, who also left the game in the fourth quarter due to a head injury. “We need more concentration. He’ll be a good player in this league. Just got to continue to work at it.”
Polk’s already contentious week hit another low shortly after Mayo’s press conference, with the rookie posting a black screen with “…” and a peace sign on his Instagram story after the game.
Polk’s message, which has been deleted from his Instagram, comes at the end of a week where he pushed back against some of Mayo’s criticism.
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After Mayo noted last week that Polk needs to get over his “mental hump” when it comes to recent drops, Polk offered his own retort Wednesday in a conversation with MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
“I’m not dealing with [any] mental problems at all. No mental problems,” Polk told Daniels, later adding: “I believe I have the best hands in the league. So, I feel like my drops, that’s not an issue at all.”
It’s been a brutal stretch for Polk, who established himself as an efficient route-runner and proven pass-catcher during his collegiate career at Washington.
Speaking after the game, Drake Maye offered up his support for Polk — noting that he needs to do more to get the fellow rookie in the rhythm of a game.
“I think JP is a great player,” Maye said. “He’s making plays. It’s a little slick out there. Sometimes the ball is on the paint and there’s paint all over the ball. So I think it’s just the field a little bit. But other than that, I’ve gotta find ways to get him the football early.
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“I’ve gotta get him in the game early. I think that’ll help him feel involved. I’ve gotta make a better throw to him on the corner route on the first drive. Little things like that to get him involved because he’s a good player for us and we need him out there. So it’s on me to get him going.”
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