Patriots teammates not giving up on struggling rookie amid bust label

Although the expectations for the Patriots offense in 2024 were extremely low, the optimism surrounding some of their rookies was much higher, even those beyond quarterback Drake Maye. Perhaps the most exciting of all were wide receivers Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk, who impressed early in training camp and through the preseason.

The pair had taken turns over the weeks with who was having the highlight practice, and eventually, Polk took over as the clear winner of a starting spot starting Week 1.

While that was the expectation, things went downhill almost immediately, and we are yet to get back to the point of believing Polk was the right pick in the 2024 Draft.

The rookie has had his fair share of struggles this season, with the biggest concern stemming from the number of drops he's had since Maye took over as the starting quarterback. Frustrations have boiled over because of it, with Polk taking to Instagram to share his thoughts on how his season is going and, at one point, seemingly taking issue with Jerod Mayo's feedback.

He's now closing on being labeled the latest bust for New England, but his teammates aren't giving up on him just yet.

Ja'Lynn Polk continues to receive support behind the scenes as on-field struggles continue

Because he was back in the spotlight again after the Patriots Week 11 loss to the Rams due to his false start penalty that shut down what looked to be a promising drive, Polk was the topic of conversation for some of his teammates while speaking to reporters.

One of the most important of whom is Maye. The quarterback encouraged his teammate and hopes to make him more successful on game day, which should be the foreseeable future.

“I think just keep going. I think he’s going to be a great player in this league. He’s a rookie like myself. We’re going to have some good games as Patriots together. Looking forward to keeping him going, and I think he’s getting thrown in there at different times and thrown in there to block some. So, I think he’s going to pick up some little things. But he’s a great player, and need to find a way to get him the football.”

Polk has also received support from his head coach, which might have fallen on closed ears after he seemingly blamed him for the loss of a potential touchdown last Sunday.

Regardless, Polk also received some words of advice from Kendrick Bourne, as he recently dealt with a setback by being benched in Week 10.

“It’s tough. Adversity it hits. I was down last week, but just keep going. That’s kind of what you encourage him. Just keep going. You never know what play is going to change your career. You never know what the future holds, so don’t hold onto bad things for too long. It’s not easy to do, but that’s kind of just the words of encouragement.”

It's promising to see the support Polk is receiving behind the scenes. Hopefully, this means they haven't given up on what he can do in the NFL and for the team despite the growing idea that he was the wrong player to be drafted.

He had a thriving career in Washington and has all the tools to be a great addition to the Patriots roster, but something isn't clicking, and it might go beyond just his struggles, as the coaching of the wide receivers has been a constant concern this year. A change might be needed before the 2025 season.

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