The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl - again. For the 10th time this century, they’ve punched their ticket, this time by grinding out a gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in a snow-covered AFC Championship Game in the Mile High air. But as Patriots Nation celebrates the return to the big stage, there's a cloud of concern hovering over Foxborough: the health of rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye, who’s steered this team through a remarkably fast rebuild, took a beating in Denver. He was sacked five times and absorbed several more hits, including one in the third quarter that’s now under the microscope.
On a 13-yard scramble, Maye slid to the turf and was brought down by Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga. He landed hard on his right shoulder - his throwing shoulder - and immediately reached for it as he got up.
That moment has sparked speculation that the young QB may have suffered an injury.
Former NFL team physician David J. Chao, known for his injury analysis on social media, weighed in, saying, “There is no question in my mind that Drake Maye injured his right throwing shoulder against the Denver Broncos.” While Chao acknowledged that the severity and nature of the injury were still unclear, he pointed to that Hufanga tackle as the likely culprit.
Head coach Mike Vrabel, however, isn’t sounding any alarms - at least not publicly. Appearing on WEEI radio Tuesday morning, Vrabel was asked directly about Maye’s condition.
“There’s not a player on our team that’s 100% healthy,” Vrabel said. “I would imagine we’ll go through the injury report, and whenever we have to turn that in, we’ll turn it in.
But nobody’s 100%. This will be our 21st game.”
Later in the day, during his media availability, Vrabel downplayed the chatter surrounding Maye’s shoulder.
“I wouldn’t say anybody hurt anything,” he said. “This is a sport where there’s gonna be things that come up.
We’ll talk about whatever status each player has for the game once we’re required to. We understand that.
We were able to function offensively, throw the football, run the football - so that’s kinda where everybody’s at.”
And Vrabel isn’t wrong - Maye did keep playing. Just two snaps after the hit in question, he uncorked a 31-yard strike to Mack Hollins on a flea-flicker, a play that certainly didn’t look like it came from a quarterback nursing a bum shoulder.
Then, in the game’s biggest moment, Maye put the ball - and the game - in his own hands. On a crucial third-and-5 late in the fourth, he kept it on a naked bootleg, stiff-armed a defender with his right hand, and picked up seven yards to seal the win.
That’s not the move of someone who’s afraid to take a hit or use his arm. But it’s also fair to wonder just how banged up he is.
Maye himself acknowledged he’s not at 100%.
“I think a lot of those guys in that locker room are battling through things,” he said after the game. “At the same time, the best thing about it is we have another chance at it.
Another chance to get healthy. Two weeks - a chance to go win the Super Bowl.
That’s what it is, and that’s pretty cool.”
Whether the Patriots’ conservative offensive game plan was due to Maye’s shoulder, the snow, or just a strategic decision to lean on their defense - which suffocated the Broncos all day - is up for debate. But one thing’s clear: the Patriots trusted their rookie quarterback to make plays when it mattered most.
The official injury report drops Wednesday, and all eyes will be on Maye’s name. Until then, the Patriots - and their fans - will hold their breath and hope that their young signal-caller is ready to go toe-to-toe with the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.