The New Orleans Saints have made another trade — for another wide receiver.
The catch? This deal involves a player who will miss the entire 2025 season.
The Saints have traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for wideout Ja'Lynn Polk and a 2028 seventh-round selection, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed.
Polk is on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason. But the Saints still made the trade to acquire a receiver who was picked in the second round just last year. Polk, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver out of Washington, was selected just four picks before the Saints traded up to take cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in 2024.
The deal marks the Saints' third trade in the last month. The team also acquired wide receiver Devaughn Vele from the Denver Broncos and tackle Asim Richards from the Dallas Cowboys in separate transactions.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz was the first to report Polk's trade, while The Athletic's Dianna Russini first reported the compensation.
Polk now gets a fresh start after a disappointing rookie season that saw the 23-year-old catch only 12 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. He played 45% of the Patriots' snaps.
Though the Patriots moved on from Polk after just one season, New England changed coaching staffs in the offseason. New coach Mike Vrabel, too, was unhappy over the way Polk's injury was reported last month.
"I'd like to find out where some of these (leaks) come from," Vrabel said. "Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out."
For the Saints, taking a chance on Polk is a long-term play. Even with the injury, New Orleans appears content to let the wide receiver rehab and then see if he can replicate some of the success he had in college. During his final season at Washington, Polk had 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns — breaking at least 100 yards in seven of his 15 games.
The Saints have used late-round pick swaps to take flyers on players. Last year, the team sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Washington Commanders in exchange for defensive tackle John Ridgeway and a 2025 seventh-round pick. In August, the team sent a 2028 sixth-rounder to Dallas in exchange for Richards and 2028 seventh-round pick.
New Orleans has also spent the last few weeks addressing their wide receiver room. In addition to acquiring Vele, the team claimed Trey Palmer off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now, Polk enters the fold — even though the Saints will have to wait until next season to find out if he can contribute.