New England had high expectations for the second-round pick, but the 22-year-old only had 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown in seven games. Polk suffered a head injury in last Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Jerod Mayo confirmed Wednesday the wide receiver was in the concussion protocol.
The Patriots head coach told reporters the team would let the process play out before determining Polk’s status for Week 8. However, there is a fair chance the rookie wideout misses this Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets.
Polk voiced his frustrations on social media. Mayo didn’t seem too concerned about the vocal chatter from his players. Drake Maye, on the other hand, publicly supported Polk on Instagram as the wide receiver seemed to hint at his place on the concussion protocol. The rookie signal-caller continued to support Polk on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I think pump him up. I think that’s the biggest thing you can do, especially for a guy coming in the same class,” Maye told reporters, per team-provided video. “I’m a first-round pick. He’s a second-round pick. We built a connection early during camp, and during the summer, I felt like we had it going. I think he’s still finding it, still working together. It was our only second game together. I felt like we left some plays out there both. Me ball placement-wise, and I feel like he’d like to have some plays back. I think it’s about building the comradery. I don’t think it’s a matter of if. I think it’s a matter of when.”
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DeMario Douglas was another player who publicly supported Polk, so it’s clear his teammates hope for a speedy recovery and a bounce back.
