The New England Patriots took Ja'Lynn Polk with the 37th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington, but he played only one season with the team. Ezra Shaw / Getty ImagesAug. 2, 2026 Updated 4:46 pm EDTThe New Orleans Saints placed wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk on the reserve/retired list Sunday, signaling an apparent end to his career just two years after he was taken early in the second round of the NFL Draft.The move appeared on the league’s transaction wire released Sunday afternoon. Polk has not made a public announcement.The New England Patriots selected Polk with the 37th pick of the 2024 draft out of Washington, hoping he would become a weapon for 2024 first-round quarterback Drake Maye. But Polk never got on track as a rookie, catching just 12 of 33 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts).The Patriots placed Polk on injured reserve in August 2025 because of a shoulder injury. A month later, they traded him to the Saints, along with a 2028 seventh-round pick, in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. Polk missed the entire 2025 season and never appeared in a game for New Orleans.In college, Polk starred alongside Rome Odunze for a Huskies team that reached the College Football Playoff championship game in January 2024. He finished that season with 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns, along with one rushing TD.