Ja'Lynn Polk's NFL career is over almost as quickly as it began.
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The New Orleans Saints announced that the 24-year-old wide receiver has been placed on the reserve/retired list after making the unexpected decision to step away from football less than a week into training camp.
Saints coach Kellen Moore said Polk had been away from the team for personal reasons before the announcement.
Polk joined New Orleans last September after being acquired from the New England Patriots in a trade that also included a 2028 seventh-round pick. The Patriots had placed Polk on injured reserve with a shoulder injury before the deal, and he never appeared in a game for the Saints.
A second-round pick (No. 37 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, Polk entered the league after a standout career at Washington, where he topped 1,100 receiving yards and caught nine touchdown passes during his final college season while helping lead the Huskies to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Polk appeared in 15 games as a rookie with New England, totaling 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
He was expected to compete for a roster spot in a revamped Saints receiving corps this summer, but instead has elected to end his playing career before the start of the 2026 season.
The Saints did not provide additional details regarding Polk's decision to retire.
