6 Patriots Immediately on Thin Ice to Begin 2025 Offseason

Now that the disappointing 2024 NFL season is over, these six New England Patriots players have found themselves on thin ice to begin the 2025 offseason.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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4. Ja'Lynn Polk, WR

Even though rookies aren't always expected to be game-changers in Year 1, the Patriots expected more from Ja'Lynn Polk than what he displayed this season.

Expectations were high when New England selected Polk with the 2024 draft's 37th-overall selection. The promising playmaker had just amassed 2,231 receiving yards and 18 TD grabs across four collegiate seasons split between Texas Tech and Washington, leaving time to tell if he could reach similar heights at the NFL level.

More often than not, though, Polk has failed to make an on-field impact. Through his first 15 games, the 22-year-old WR had only hauled in 12-of-33 targets (36.4%) for 87 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Even more embarrassing is that he failed to make a single catch on three targets between Weeks 13 and 17 despite playing 55 offensive snaps during that stretch.

Polk is still young enough to improve, but it's hard not to be disappointed by his debut season. Rarely did he ever look like a legitimate second-round selection, meaning he has a lot to prove to the Patriots staff if he wants to become an offensive focal point in 2025 and beyond.

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