Patriots' Pop Douglas Reveals 2024 Goal After Leading Team in Yards

The New England Patriots wide receiver has his eyes set on the prize.

Jul 24, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (3) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are looking at a big year ahead for their sophomore wide receiver Pop Douglas, who looks to be eyeing a potential breakout campaign ahead with a fresh-looking offensive system and new personnel to accompany him.

The 5-foot-8 receiver has already begun to make a noticeable impression in the Patriots' early training camp and instantly stands out as a pass catcher to find a high target share come his way on this New England roster. However, during the meantime of waiting for the season ahead, Douglas himself is keeping his sights steady and focused on one significant goal for 2024.

When Douglas was asked about his main goal for this coming season, he kept things simple, ensuring that securing his first career touchdown will be a top priority:

"Y'all should know this answer already... a touchdown!.. I've been stacking up [celebrations] since last year, so I'm getting ready for this year, for sure."

- Pop Douglas on his main goal this season

Douglas burst onto the scene his rookie year as a sixth-rounder from Liberty, securing a team-high 561 yards and 49 receptions during seven starts in his first season on the field, yet it failed to come along with a touchdown in the process.

The situation of Douglas's touchdown-less results looks eerily similar to when Jakobi Meyers spent his initial years in the league with the Patriots, as it took him an absurd two and a half seasons to finally find the end zone. The hope for Pop is that he doesn't suffer the same fate, yet nothing's completely guaranteed.

Douglas will enter next season with a more prominent role in the offense than he did ahead of his rookie debut, which should provide an increased upside to get on the field, leading to that coveted touchdown reception.

As Pop sits next to second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk and a returning Kendrick Bourne in this WR room, this New England offense will be much stronger and revitalized than we saw a year prior, aspiring to be a much better product than the Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe-led unit in 2023.

Headlined with a fresh combination of Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye in the fold at quarterback, we may get to see Douglas finally find paydirt for the first time in his career, and effectively see one of his "stacked-up" celebrations to follow.

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