The New England Patriots are heading to Super Bowl LX after a gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos, but the health of star rookie quarterback Drake Maye has become a major talking point. Despite the victory, concerns arose when former NFL team doctor David Chao pointed out a potential injury to Maye’s throwing shoulder suffered during a third-quarter scramble. Additionally, Head coach Mike Vrabel did little to quiet the rumors during his recent media appearance.

“@_ChrisCurtis asked Mike Vrabel about “internet doctors” saying Drake Maye hurt his shoulder on Sunday,” Tom Carroll, a reporter, posted on his X account. “Curtis: “Is he 100% healthy?” Vrabel: “There’s not a player on our team that’s 100% healthy.” CC: “Is he healthy enough to play at a high level?” MV: “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.”

Mike Vrabel, rather than answering about the players’ health status, emphasized that the team would follow standard procedures for the injury report. But when and how did Maye get hit?

According to Dr. David Chao, there is some evidence that quarterback Drake Maye injured his right shoulder during the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos. While Maye initially stayed on the field following a hard hit, his performance didn’t really improve, per se.

Following that play, Maye threw only a few more times, including an inaccurate pass and a throwaway, before the Patriots’ offense abandoned the passing game in favor of a run-heavy strategy to finish the win. The move came as little surprise, as the MVP candidate had logged season-low numbers in passes (10) and percentage (47.6). 

The concerns grew after the game when video showed Maye jogging to the locker room while clearly favoring his right side and failing to swing his arm naturally. During his post-game press conference, his body language further suggested an injury as he appeared to protect the shoulder by using his left arm for most movements and leaning on the podium for support.

Since then, Maye moved quickly to shut down the noise. Speaking on WEEI Afternoons, the Patriots’ rookie addressed the shoulder chatter head-on, insisting he is “feeling good” despite the wear and tear of roughly 30 straight weeks of throwing. Maye admitted the grind added up, but stressed that rest should do its job. As for any limitations going forward, the quarterback kept things open-ended, saying it was simply “too early to say” whether his practice reps would be scaled back.

The Patriots are ready to play tough on the road as they prepare for their big game against the Seattle Seahawks in two weeks. Everyone has their eyes on Drake Maye to see if he will be slowed down by any physical limits during this high-stakes matchup. Meanwhile, the Patriots might need to work on their game if they are to win another Super Bowl.

Drake Maye acknowledges the team needs to work on the offense

The New England Patriots’ defense stepped up during their recent win over the Denver Broncos, but the team is well aware that it has work to do. Quarterback Drake Maye is hopeful for a better team performance in the Super Bowl, though he acknowledges that he personally needs to play better for that to happen. 

After a stellar regular season where he led the league in quarterback ratings, Maye’s numbers have dropped significantly during the playoffs. This is largely due to the “gauntlet” of top-tier defenses the Patriots have faced, including the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos.

The challenge only gets steeper from here. To win the championship, the Patriots must get past the Seattle Seahawks, who boast the best scoring defense in the NFL. If New England pulls off the upset, it will make history as the first team to defeat four top-10 defenses in a single postseason. 

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However, history is currently working against them. The Patriots are averaging just 18 points per game in the playoffs. Part of the recent struggle was due to the elements. During the game against Denver, heavy snow and high winds forced the Patriots to stop passing and focus on running the ball. While Maye’s ability to scramble and make plays with his legs was a lifesaver, both he and coach Mike Vrabel admitted the offense wasn’t clicking even before the weather turned bad. 

“We’ll have to get a lot of things corrected, and we’ll have to play our best football game in two weeks if we want to finish as champions,” Vrabel said after the win.

Coach Vrabel has been blunt about the situation, stating that the team must play its absolute best football of the year if it wants to finish the season as champions. For Maye and the offense, the focus will be on finding ways to move the chains and finish drives against the toughest defense they’ve faced all year.