Drake Maye injury update: Patriots QB dealing with 'ominous' shoulder issue, expected to play in Super Bowl LX

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is still dealing with a shoulder issue, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While it’s a bit ominous, according to the report, Maye is expected to play in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks.

Maye dealt with the shoulder injury during the AFC Championship Game, but it didn’t prevent him from utilizing his legs to advance the ball. By the time the big game rolls around, he should be good to go.

“Drake Maye, there is a little bit of ominous sign here with the shoulder issue that’s sort of been lingering, he’s been limited in practice, also had an illness yesterday,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “So there’s not a major concern here. He’s expected to play and play well. In fact, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald was asked, ‘Do you think that shoulder is gonna be any issue?’ He said, ‘No issue. I expect Maye to be a play maker, and his legs are still healthy, which has been crucial for him.’ He got a bunch of first downs last week against Denver.”

Maye actually missed practice earlier this week, but nothing is serious, according to various reports. On the other hand, head coach Mike Vrabel stated he wasn’t willing to dive into potential specifics of the alleged injury. 

“There’s not a player on our team that’s 100% healthy,” Vrabel said on The Greg Hill Show. “I would imagine we will go through the injury report, and whenever we have to turn that in, we’ll turn it in. But nobody is 100%. This will be our 21st game.”

Continuing, Vrabel then spoke to the New England media, where he was asked directly if Maye hurt his shoulder. He said, “No, I wouldn’t say that anybody hurt anything.”

“This is a sport where there’s gonna be things that come up,” Vrabel added. “We’ll talk about whatever status each player has for the game once we’re required to.”

Regardless, Maye’s status will be closely monitored this week and next, with the Super Bowl set for Sunday, Feb. 8. He and the Patriots are coming off a gutsy win in Denver in what became a blizzard in the second half.

Maye completed just 10-of-21 passes for 86 yards. However, he ran 10 times for 65 yards and a touchdown. Maye ran for the clinching first down in the fourth quarter to send the Patriots back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018.

It’s been a stellar sophomore campaign for the 2024 No. 3 overall pick. He is a finalist for the AP MVP Award and will become the second-youngest quarterback to start in the Super Bowl behind only Dan Marino.