Heading into Wednesday’s first practice of the 2025 New England Patriots training camp, the belief was that there would be a pretty good battle going on at the wide receiver position.
The biggest name involved would have presumably included one notable player, but by the time the players all took the field, that person wasn’t out there.
Second-year wideout Ja’Lynn Polk didn’t participate during Wednesday’s practice, and it’s unknown why he was sidelined. He wasn’t part of the team’s initial PUP/NFI list, and head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t mention him during his pre-practice press conference.
Polk was reportedly present and did do some conditioning, but he didn’t take part in any portion of the practice. Fellow wideout Mack Hollins also wasn’t out there, but Hollins had previously been placed on PUP ahead of camp, so him being sidelined wasn’t really a surprise.
Why that was is certainly a mystery. Polk was part of the group that worked out with quarterback Drake Maye ahead of camp, and the 23-year-old had recently posted on his social media that he planned on proving his doubters wrong this preseason. However, sitting out the opening practice would seemingly make it challenging for him to potentially accomplish that.
Polk is a player who some are unsure whether or not he’ll get a chance at redemption beyond training camp. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wrote this offseason that one key thing working against the former Washington receiver is the fact that neither Josh McDaniels nor Vrabel has a history with him. Despite being a second-round pick, Vrabel has already alluded to the fact this season is a clean slate from a competition standpoint, which absolutely works against him.
For now, for a player who is on a mission to re-establish himself this summer, Polk is already a step behind the 11 other players who are also vying for one of those coveted spots with the offense heading into September.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
I beleive the Pats said Polk maybe held back a bit this summer per shoulder surgery. Alike Hollins. So not surprising. But hey Carlton Davis was on the NFI Tues and on the field Wednesday, so things are fluid in Summer camp. Polk should have plenty of time to distinguish himself or not. My guess is he starts the year on IR destined to return. Give him time and the pats have bodies at the positions. Hollins the same maybe. Not sure what his injury was, but can’t be huge given they signed him.