Yahoo Sports NFL on Ja'Lynn Polk

Polk retires from NFL after Saints WR battle; career ends unexpectedly.

Polk was placed on the Saints reserve/retired list on August 2, 2026, ending his NFL career. The former second-round Patriots pick had struggled in his first season, suffered an injury that sidelined him for year 2, and was traded to New Orleans (Saints sent a 6th-rounder; Patriots received Polk and a 7th-rounder). Despite being the favorite to win the Saints' WR battle and building chemistry with potential future QBs including Tyler Shough during practices, Polk was absent for personal reasons during the final two days before announcing his retirement.

Ja'Lynn PolkWRPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight