Patriots Trade Second-Year Wide Receiver to Saints Ahead of Week 2 Games

The former second-round pick had a quiet rookie season in New England.

Ja'Lynn Polk made just 12 receptions for the Patriots during his rookie year. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Ja'Lynn Polk was an explosive playmaker for Washington during its 2023–24 run to the national championship game, but after just one quiet NFL season for the Patriots and an injury that will cost him his second year, he has been traded.

New England dealt Polk to the Saints on Saturday afternoon, sending a 2028 seventh-round draft pick along with him to New Orleans for a 2027 sixth-round pick, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports.

Polk is currently on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery.

The Washington product was the latest disappointing wide receiver draftee in a long run of them for New England, catching just 12 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns a year ago in 15 games (seven starts) after the team used an early second-round pick to select him. He'll hope to reinvigorate his NFL career with a young Saints offense under coach Kellen Moore, but will have to wait until 2026 to make his mark in New Orleans.

Polk caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns for the national runner-up Huskies in his final college season.

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