Benched Patriots receiver might benefit from teammates' recent downfall

The drama with the Patriots receivers this season continues despite the clear upgrade at quarterback, with Drake Maye being named the starter two weeks ago. Several players voiced their frustrations over the first five weeks of the season, many of which were warranted, and were said to be the leading force behind the alleged mutiny in the locker room.

The quarterback change seemed to be the easiest way to rid the team of those complaints, and based on how the Patriots played against the Texans, things started to look up for the offense.

While that remains accurate even after their ugly loss to the Jaguars, it has prompted more players to air their grievances on social media, further amplifying the chaos that continues to go on in New England this season.

The brewing frustration from Ja'Lynn Polk appears to be boiling over after another rough performance on Sunday. It was the latest struggle-filled showing by the rookie, who has already dipped his toes in the 'over-sharing with the media or online' group within the Patriots locker room. His frustrating day against the Jaguars that ended with a reported injury prompted another post from Polk, which might inadvertently create a big opportunity for one of his teammates.

Ja'Lynn Polk's decline could be an opening door for Tyquan Thornton

At the start of the season, Tyquan Thornton was atop the depth chart and considered one of the Patriots starters at wide receiver. It was a shocking development considering how his career has progressed thus far, but it didn't take long for Jerod Mayo to realize it might have been a mistake.

The third-year player has had a difficult road in the NFL since he was drafted, especially since Bill Belichick is universally believed to have selected him far too high. Thornton hasn't been able to perform like a second-round pick, and because that continued this season, he has now been a healthy scratch for two weeks in a row.

With the drama budding behind the scenes with several receivers, but most notably Polk, there's certainly a possibility that Mayo will switch up the depth chart again and experiment with Thornton now that Maye is under center. He might not have worked well with Jacoby Brissett, but he could with the rookie quarterback.

The head coach already declared his intention to move players around depending on their performance and that was clear with how the defense was handled for Sunday's game. He could do that with the offense, too, and Thornton could be back on the field as soon as next week.

It all depends on how Mayo will approach trying to improve the offense's lineup and it's hard to say what he will do when he constantly says one thing to the media and then walks it back the following day.

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