New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk missed a third straight training camp practice on Friday.
When asked about the second-year wideout’s continued absence, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel didn’t minimize the importance of practice reps, but he noted there are other ways to stay engaged off the field.
“There’s a lot of ways around being out here at practice. I think that everybody, whether that’s a first-year, second-year, ten-year, we think that practice is important, but obviously there’s circumstances around being out here and not being out here and how you can stay up with the installation,” Vrabel said, via MassLive’s Karen Guregian. “At the beginning part of camp, there is installation. It’s a repeat from the spring. So, hopefully, any player that’s not out here can stay engaged, continue to learn and get the information that they need, and then be ready when they get back.
“I think that’s the important thing … just focusing on doing everything that you can to get back as quickly as possible, but also when you do get back, there’s not a big drop-off of information lost when you get back.”
ESPN’s Mike Reiss revealed that Polk passed his initial physical, but then he later started experiencing some “minor muscle tightness.” That has reportedly led to the team taking a more cautious approach with him early in training camp.
With that said, it doesn’t help to not be taking reps, especially after a disappointing rookie year. Polk only recorded 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns last season. That isn’t what the team expected when investing a second-round pick on him at the 2024 NFL draft.
It’s still too early to give up on the 23-year-old receiver as a potential key piece, but things aren’t trending in the right direction.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots coach Mike Vrabel reacts to Ja’Lynn Polk missing practices
