Ja’Lynn Polk had been viewed as a candidate to miss final roster cuts with the Patriots this summer. The second-year wideout’s attention will now turn to matter of recovery, however. 
Polk is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. Multiple specialists were consulted before the decision was made to move forward with the procedure, he adds. Polk will now aim to return to full health in time for the 2026 campaign.
Selected in the second round of last year’s draft, Polk entered the league with high expectations based on his success at the college level. The Texas Tech product transferred to Washington in 2021 and enjoyed a strong finish to his career with the Huskies. His final season produced personal bests in catches (69), yards (1,159) and touchdowns (nine).
During his rookie campaign with New England, though, Polk made just 12 catches on 33 targets. The team’s offense as a whole struggled mightily last season, leading to a slew of changes over the past several months. With a new regime in place, Polk – along with fellow 2024 draftee Javon Baker – loomed as a cut candidate at the end of training camp. Given today’s news, he can simply be moved to injured reserve and retained through next year.
The Patriots are positioned to move forward with Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas as starters at the receiver spot. Rookie Kyle Williams and Kendrick Bourne (presuming the latter is not released next week) are also set to have a role in the passing game in 2025, while undrafted free agent Efton Chism has enjoyed a strong camp to the point where is expected to make the Week 1 roster. A decision will not need to be with respect to Polk anymore, but Baker’s status will be worth monitoring over the coming days.
By the time he is back to full strength in 2026, Polk will have two years remaining on his rookie contract. His Patriots future will presumably be unclear once again at that point, and a decision on retaining him or moving on will be impacted by the performance of New England’s other wideouts this season.