Wide receiver unexpectedly retires days into Saints training camp
· Yahoo Sports
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk unexpectedly retired from the NFL, the team announced Sunday. This news was first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOleans.Football, who added that Polk "was healthy and happy with his role." The 24-year old just decided to walk away. He'll go on the reserve/retired list. The team has been just a few days into their 2026 training camp when Polk dropped the news.
Ja'Lynn Polk is just 24 and has officially played only one NFL season. That was with the New England Patriots as a rookie in 2024. Last season, Polk had season-ending shoulder surgery in training camp. He began his collegiate career with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2020 before transferring to the Washington Huskies for his final three collegiate seasons. In 2023, Polk had 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and 9 touchdowns with the national runner-up Huskies.
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The New England Patriots selected Polk with a second round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the 37th overall selection. He struggled as a rookie, catching only 12 passes for 87 yards and scoring twice in 15 games. Polk never got a second season in New England, being sidelined with shoulder surgery for the year midway through training camp.
Even knowing that Polk would miss all of 2025, the Saints still traded for him in September. New Orleans sent a 2027 seventh-round draft choice to the Patriots in exchange for Polk and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Polk had looked sharp through OTA workouts and minicamp. His sudden retirement is a blow to the Saints, as he was expected to compete for the third or fourth wideout role.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Wide receiver unexpectedly retires days into Saints training camp