Patriots receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (1) gets free against the Washington Commanders in a preseason game. Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Elite 2023 Husky Wide Receivers Take NFL Pounding

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 6:15 PM ET

Please excuse Rome Odunze if he feels the need to continually look over his shoulder to see if something bad is coming.

That's because, as of Thursday, he's the only one of the three standout wide receivers for the 2023 University of Washington football team who's still got his health intact -- this after former Husky teammates Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan recently suffered serious injuries during the NFL preseason and are out.

Polk of the New England Patriots has been lost for the season with a shoulde r injury that will require surgery, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, sent to the sidleline after McMillan went on the injured reserve list with a neck injury for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Meantime, Odunze, providing he can stay upright, will go it alone with the Chicago Bears once the NFL regular season begins as the only healthy one from what's considered possibly the Huskies' most prolific group of receivers assembled together.

Sources: #Patriots WR Ja'Lynn Polk will miss the entire 2025 season due to a shoulder injury that requires surgery.

The 2024 second-round pick saw multiple specialists, and surgery was determined to be the best course of action — with the goal of being fully healthy for 2026. pic.twitter.com/Ee3okqZ7QX
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 21, 2025

Polk was injured during the Patriots' preseason opener against the Washington Commanders when he hit the ground hard after trying to stiff-arm his way past a defender.

This is not the first time these wide receivers together have gone through a rough patch in trying to maintain good health and stay on the football field.

In 2021, Odunze and McMillan were both out with injuries when the Huskies opened the season against Montana and Polk lasted just a handful of plays that day before he broke his collarbone when tackled on a pass reception. Polk was taken across the street to the University of Washington Medical Center, had surgery and missed 10 games.

In 2023, Odunze and Polk previously had to carry on without McMillan for much of that season after the latter suffered a leg injury at Michigan State and he proceeded to miss four games and play briefly in several others during the UW's run to the CFP national championship game.

Last year, this one-time Husky receiving trio survived fairly intact as NFL rookies, with Odunze appearing in 17 regular-season games, Polk playing in 15 outings and McMillan logging 13.

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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