Polk instead played sparingly in his first and only season in New England. He finished his rookie year with 12 catches and 87 yards for two touchdowns on 45.3% of the team’s offensive snaps. In more foreboding for his future prospects with the Pats, Polk saw his usage decrease throughout that campaign. He capped out at 40.8% of snaps in a game during his final eight contests, and in four of those weeks fell under the 30% threshold.
He then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during New England’s training camp in August 2025. A few weeks later, the Patriots traded Polk and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Saints in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round selection.
The goal was to rehab and bounce back in Year 3 in a fresh environment.
Instead, Polk has made the decision to hang it up.
Though Polk would’ve been a welcome inclusion in the Saints’ WR room, New Orleans is still operating with some of the best depth its had in years. A trio of rookies — first-round pick Jordyn Tyson, fourth-rounder Bryce Lance and sixth-round selection Barion Brown join a corps also highlighted by the newly paid Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipson.
They’ll help quarterback Tyler Shough and the Saints forge a new path forward while Polk carves out his own away from football.
Leave a Reply