4 Patriots Who Could Be Benched in Second Half of Season

The 2024 NFL season has been a write-off for the New England Patriots, who entered Week 11 with an AFC East-worst 3-7 record through their first 10 games. Although struggles were expected in head coach Jerod Mayo's first season behind the bench, the issues have gotten to the point where Patriots fans can't wait for the year to be over.

Nevertheless, life isn't that easy and New England must make it through its next seven games before getting to the offseason. While certain players have proven that they deserve to be featured during the campaign's final stretch, others have performed so poorly that they may have played themselves out of Mayo's plans.

With that in mind, let's check out these four Patriots who could be benched in the season's second half.

1. Ja'Lynn Polk, WR

Benching a second-round pick in his rookie season is never an easy decision, however, the Patriots might not have much of a choice as far as Ja'Lynn Polk is concerned.

The former Washington wideout was drafted 37th overall in April with the hope that he could grow alongside franchise quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots desperately needed a player capable of developing into a No. 1 receiver, and Polk looked the part after registering over 1,100 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 69 catches in his final collegiate season.

Unfortunately, Polk has struggled to adapt to the increased competition at the NFL level. The 6-foot-1 playmaker has only caught 11-of-28 targets (39.3%) through his first nine appearances, converting those opportunities into just 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The situation is worse given that he only has two catches for six yards and one TD in his last four outings.

Polk is still young enough (22) to have a successful NFL career, but it's clear that things aren't working out at the moment. It wouldn't be surprising if he's scratched down the stretch with the Patriots hoping that he comes back rejuvenated and re-focused next year.