Sportsnaut
The New England Patriots are set to finish the preseason on Thursday night versus the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, and wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk will not be available for the second straight week.
Polk didn’t practice on Tuesday or Wednesday this week as he continues to deal with a shoulder injury. The 23-year-old had a solid chance of making the roster heading into training camp, but injuries have held him back.
Though New England could look to cut Polk and move on from him before the roster cut-down deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes the Patriots have another plan in place for Polk.
Reiss projects Polk will land on injured reserve to begin the season, which would keep him in New England. Teams can place players on IR on cut-down day, and can designate two to return from the list during the season.
Polk was a second-round pick in last year’s draft and does have some promise, so it would make sense for the Patriots to keep him and see if they can still get something out of him. The Washington standout tallied 12 receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown in 15 games during his rookie season in 2024.
We’ll see if Polk can ever turn into an impactful player for New England. The 23-year-old will likely begin his second season on IR, but could return at some point in 2025.
In Polk’s absence, undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism III took advantage of increased opportunities and may have locked up a roster spot with his impressive play in the preseason. Javon Baker’s chances of making the roster have also skyrocketed with Polk being out.
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