New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is determined to plug some leaks within the organization before the start of the 2025 season.
A report surfaced on Thursday that Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, who was drafted in the second round out of Washington last year, will miss the entirety of his second NFL season because he needs shoulder surgery.
The news was first shared by reporter Jordan Schultz, who said Polk met with multiple specialists before determining that surgery is the best option.
Vrabel was asked about the report a short while later. He did not provide any details about Polk’s injury and instead expressed frustration that the information leaked out. Vrabel said the Patriots are going to have to find the “rats” within their organization.
“No, I don’t know, other than I’d like to find out where some of these (reports) come from. Some of these rats around here, so we’ll figure that out,” Vrabel said.
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel was asked to comment on the report that WR Ja’Lynn Polk will require season-ending shoulder surgery.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 22, 2025
“No. I don’t know. Other than, I’d like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. We’ll figure that out.”
😳 pic.twitter.com/T02lNSAzCq
Vrabel, who has previous head coach experience from the time he spent with the Tennessee Titans, has reminded fans of Bill Belichick at times with how he has dealt with the media in New England. He had a confrontation with a reporter over a question last week, and he clearly prefers to keep injury information close to the vest.
Polk was coming off a disappointing rookie season in which he caught just 12 passes in 15 games. The Patriots expected big things from him when they drafted him 37th overall, but they are not going to see any return on their investment until 2026, if at all.
