Patriots' Drake Maye Remains Confident in Rookie WR

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye is remaining confident in rookie receiver Ja'Lynn Polk.

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2024 NFL season, the New England Patriots were hopeful that rookie wide receiver and second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk would be able to be an instant impact player.

Through the first seven weeks of the year, Polk has struggled in a big way. He has been dealing with a lot of drops so far and has not made anything close to the kind of impact that the Patriots were hoping to see from him.

He has caught just 10 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown so far.

While there are many who are worried that he's going to be a bust, fellow rookie and now starting quarterback Drake Maye has spoken out with confidence in the young wideout. He expects to get things turned around with the rookie wide receiver.

“It’s only our second game out there together," Maye said. “I feel like we’ve left some plays out there, both ball placement-wise, and I’m sure he’d like to have some plays back himself. I think it’s just building the camaraderie, and I think we’re going to get there.”

Maye and Polk could end up being a very lethal duo together for the future if they can both reach their full potential. Clearly, the young quarterback has full confidence in his wide receiver.

Polk has been targeted 26 times and has only caught 10 of them. That is a very concerning stat.

Jerod Mayo, the team's first-year head coach, has spoken out previously about Polk. He stated that he thinks Polk needs to overcome some mental problems that have led to his early-season struggles.

“I think he just needs to get over this mental hump. You’ve got to eliminate the dropped passes. You’ve got to be better at blocking, which he did a great job in college at that and at times throughout the season," Mayo said.

Following that statement from Mayo, Polk didn't waste much time responding and firing back.

“I’m not dealing with any mental problems at all. No mental problems. I believe I have the best hands in the league. So, I feel like my drops, that’s not an issue at all," Polk said.

Already, there has been a little bit of drama between Polk and Mayo. That's not great to see happening in the media, but there is reason for concern about the young wide receiver.

Far too often already he has dropped the football. His concentration has looked off at times.

All of that being said, Maye believes in Polk' s ability and that he will turn things around moving forward. Hopefully, that turnaround can begin this week when the Patriots take on the AFC East rival New York Jets.

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