Drake Maye's Shoulder Under the Microscope as Patriots Gear Up for Super Bowl LX
FOXBORO - With just over a week to go before the biggest game of his life, Drake Maye isn’t dodging the questions - or the spotlight. The 23-year-old Patriots quarterback, fresh off leading New England to its first Super Bowl appearance since the Brady era, is managing more than just the pressure of Super Bowl LX. He’s also dealing with a right shoulder injury that’s drawn plenty of attention - and for good reason.
When you’re the starting quarterback for a team headed to the Super Bowl, and it’s your throwing shoulder that’s banged up, people are going to talk. Maye gets that.
“Surprised? No.
I wouldn’t say surprised,” Maye said when asked about the buzz surrounding his injury. “It’s the right shoulder of a starting quarterback on an NFL team.”
Correction - a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. So, yeah, this isn’t just any sore shoulder.
Maye was officially listed as “limited” on both Wednesday and Thursday’s injury reports. He didn’t throw during the portion of Wednesday’s practice open to the media, but by Thursday, he was back slinging it - at least in a limited capacity.
“Did I throw today? Yeah, we went through a normal practice,” Maye confirmed. “Did some reps and did some things where I’m looking forward to trying to get some more reps here and there and feel it out.”
While he didn’t go into detail about how much he threw or how it felt, Maye made it clear he’s doing everything he can to be ready when the Patriots take the field against the Seahawks next Sunday.
“I feel good - was able to do some of the jog through, so feeling good,” he said. “Looking forward to being ready to go. This is the game you dream of playing in… I’ll do whatever I can to feel 100%, and I’m sure I’ll get, if not there, as close as I can or 99 or do whatever I can to make sure I’m throwing and do whatever I can to help the team win.”
Head coach Mike Vrabel, who’s been steady and measured throughout the postseason run, addressed the injury earlier in the day. According to Vrabel, the shoulder issue cropped up during the AFC Championship Game win over the Broncos - not before.
“He would have been listed on the injury report before [Wednesday],” Vrabel said, shutting down any notion that this was a lingering issue.
The injury likely occurred during a gritty third-quarter run when Maye took a hard hit from Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga. Despite the shot, Maye stayed in the game, completed a pass to Mack Hollins two plays later, and even delivered a stiff arm on a key fourth-quarter scramble that helped seal the win. Still, his accuracy was noticeably off for stretches of that game - a possible sign that the shoulder was already bothering him.
But if Vrabel is concerned, he’s doing a good job of hiding it.
“Not much,” he said when asked about his level of worry. “I try not to have a whole lot of concern. I just want to try to prepare the football team, make sure that everybody’s ready, that we all have a plan, not to surprise anybody and make sure that our guys are focusing on the first and second down plan.”
Vrabel emphasized that the Patriots aren’t changing their routine just because it’s Super Bowl week - or because their quarterback is nursing a sore shoulder.
“I think we’re going to operate as we normally would here on a Wednesday,” Vrabel said. “Even though it’s Thursday, this is a Wednesday for us, and that’s kind of how we’ll approach it.”
The Patriots will hold another practice Friday before taking Saturday off. Then it’s wheels up for San Francisco on Sunday as they head west to face a Seahawks defense that’s been one of the most physical and disciplined units in the league all season.
Maye’s health will be a storyline all week, but Vrabel is more focused on the bigger picture - and the growth he’s seen in his rookie quarterback.
“I think just as we’ve gone through this entire year in this program, and the more that he’s been out there and the games have kind of built up on us… I think he’s improved in them, and he’s a big part of why we’re here, obviously.”
New England’s 14-3 regular season was impressive in its own right, but their playoff run - knocking off the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos - has shown a level of grit and maturity that’s been building all season. Maye has been at the center of it, and now he’s got one more test: a Super Bowl showdown with a top-tier Seattle defense, under the brightest lights the sport has to offer.
Media night kicks off Monday, followed by a gauntlet of press obligations through Thursday. But the real focus, for Maye and the Patriots, is Sunday - and making sure that right shoulder is ready for the moment.