As the remnants of Hurricane Debby hit Foxborough, Massachusetts, it made for a very messy NFL debut for some highly anticipated New England Patriots prospects, from quarterbacks Drake Maye and Joe Milton to former Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk.
Before the game, Polk was shockingly underrated by the NFL Network pregame show. Despite all reports that the former second-round pick is pushing for a spot in the starting lineup, the pregame report had him listed as wide receiver No. 7 and the one-time Texas Tech transfer quickly proved that wrong.
Coach Jerod Mayo didn’t ask much of the rookie, who mainly worked with quarterback Bailey Zappe in the first and second quarters before being removed from the game. Polk made 3 catches for 14 yards in his debut while displaying his sure hands and ability to both find the sticks and separate from defenders, even in the pouring rain.
“I was just ready to go out there, attack the ball, and make plays for the team,” Polk said after the game. “I’ve put in a lot of work throughout the offseason and I was just really excited to go out there and be able to play some ball.”
Ja'Lynn Polk with the strong hands pic.twitter.com/WLcWJ4y6QO
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 8, 2024