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Mike Vrabel and the Patriots wrapped up the preseason on Thursday night with a game against the Giants. It was an ugly game, especially for the defense, as the Giants put up 42 points and 431 total yards of offense.
The Patriots end the preseason with a 2-1 record and saw several player step up and try to earn roster spots this summer. One of the players who was at one time in the running for a wide receiver spot is Ja’Lynn Polk. The 2024 second-round pick was once seen as a key piece of the future in Foxboro, but due to an inconsistent rookie season and offseason, that now seems uncertain.
Polk missed a ton of time this summer with injury, and even when he was on the field, he failed to impress. Undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, Javon Baker, Kayshon Boutte, and even John Jiles have all outperformed Polk. As a result, many were expecting the Washington product to get cut.
However, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported on Thursday that Polk is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery and will be placed on injured reserve. This helps the roster crunch issue, but it is disappointing that Polk will have to miss the entire season.
After the preseason finale on Thursday night, Vrabel was asked if he had anything to add to the Polk report, and the coach was clearly annoyed and vowed to find the “rats” in the organization that leaked the story.
“No, I don’t know. Other than, I’d like to find out where some of these (reports) come from,” said Vrabel. “Some of these rats around here. We’ll figure that out.”
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel was asked to comment on the report that WR Ja’Lynn Polk will require season-ending shoulder surgery.
“No. I don’t know. Other than, I’d like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. We’ll figure that out.”
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 22, 2025
Clearly Vrabel isn’t comfortable with news getting out that he doesn’t want to get out. The Patriots usually run a tight ship, so it’s a bit surprising to learn that information may be getting leaked.
It’s also worth noting that Vrabel didn’t refute the report itself. Since the coach was mad about the news getting out, it can be assumed that Schultz’s report is accurate.
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