Oh, what could have been.
The Patriots were torched by Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey on Saturday — just months after passing on the Georgia product in the 2024 NFL Draft.
During April’s draft, New England, who was in the market for a wide receiver, had a shot to take McConkey with the 34th overall pick.
Instead, the Patriots decided to trade back, sending the 34th and 137th picks to Los Angeles in exchange for the 37th and 110th picks, opting to take Washington receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round.
Nearly a full season since, that move is looking like a mistake.
McConkey got his revenge during the Chargers’ 40-7 win at Gillette Stadium, catching eight passes for 94 yards with two touchdowns.
He’s now up to 77 catches for 1,054 yards with seven touchdowns in 2024.
Heading into the game, McConkey had ranked in the top 20 in both receiving yards and receptions.
The win moved the Chargers to 10-6 and punched their ticket to the postseason in their first season under Jim Harbaugh.
A season ago, the Chargers were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL, going 5-12.
The Patriots, on the other hand, are in the running for the NFL’s worst team.
New England fell to 3-13, which ties the Giants for the most losses in the NFL heading into Sunday’s play.
Polk, who had no catches on just one target in Saturday’s game, has yet to live up to the expectations the Patriots had for him.
In 15 games, Polk has just 12 catches for 87 yards with two touchdowns.
