New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s health is a storyline ahead of his team’s Super Bowl 60 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8.
NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry reported Tuesday that Maye was dealing with a right shoulder issue before the AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos this past Sunday, but it hadn’t limited him in practices or games.
“On Drake Maye’s health, my understanding is that he was dealing with a right shoulder issue prior to the Denver game,” Perry wrote on X. “It hadn’t limited him in practices or games, but wasn’t 100 percent. The Talanoa Hufanga hit, which resulted in Maye landing hard on his right side, didn’t help.”
“I think that everybody, including Drake, is not 100 percent at this part of the year,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said at a press conference Tuesday morning. “We’ll do everything that we can to help our players be prepared and get ready for this game.”
The Talanoa Hufanga hit referenced above happened in the third quarter on a second-and-10 play with under four minutes left in the third quarter. Maye scrambled for a 13-yard gain and a first down, but as he went to the ground, Hufanga fell on him while trying to make a tackle. Two plays later, Maye threw a nice pass to Mack Hollins for a 31-yard pickup on a flea-flicker play.
Maye has completed 55.8 percent of his passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the playoffs. He also has 141 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the postseason.
Maye was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL this season and is among the top candidates for league MVP.
He completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the regular season, helping the Patriots earn a 14-3 record, an AFC East title and their first playoff appearance since 2021.
