FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In the high-stakes prelude to Super Bowl LX, the New England Patriots find themselves battling two opponents: the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks and a rapidly spreading narrative concerning the health of their franchise quarterback, Drake Maye.
Addressing the media on Tuesday for the first time since New England’s gritty 10-7 AFC Championship victory over the Denver Broncos, Head Coach Mike Vrabel moved quickly to extinguish speculation that Maye suffered a significant injury to his throwing shoulder. The rumors ignited late in the third quarter of Sunday’s title game when the second-year quarterback was tackled awkwardly, landing hard on his right side. While Maye finished the contest without missing a snap, video analysis circulated by medical experts; including former NFL team doctor Dr. David Chao, suggested a potential AC joint sprain, sending anxiety rippling through the New England fanbase.
Vrabel, however, remained characteristically stoic, refusing to validate the online frenzy. When asked directly if the concern surrounding Maye’s shoulder was overblown, the coach offered a blunt assessment.
“Probably,” Vrabel said. “I think that everybody, including Drake, is not at 100 percent during this part of the year. We’ll do everything that we can to help our players be prepared and get ready for this game.”
The coach’s comments appear calculated to normalize the situation rather than deny it entirely. By emphasizing the physical toll of a 21-game season, Vrabel shifted the conversation from a specific injury crisis to the general attrition of playoff football. He stopped short of providing a definitive clean bill of health, noting simply that the team would “talk about whatever status each player has for the game once we’re required to” via the official injury report later in the week.
Despite the evasive language, the evidence on the field offers a more optimistic outlook than the online speculation suggests. Following the hit in question, Maye not only remained in the game but orchestrated the deciding drive. He completed a crucial 31-yard flea-flicker to Mack Hollins and, perhaps most tellingly, utilized his right arm to deliver a stiff arm against a Broncos defender while rushing for the game-sealing first down in the fourth quarter.
Maye himself echoed his coach’s sentiment during his own media availability, attributing any lingering discomfort to the “bumps and bruises” inherent to a deep postseason run. “I’m feeling good,” Maye stated. “We’ve got some extra rest… I’m ready to go for the Super Bowl.”
The stakes could not be higher for the Patriots, who are looking to cap a surprising 14-3 campaign with a seventh Lombardi Trophy. Maye has been the catalyst for this resurgence, throwing for nearly 4,400 yards and 31 touchdowns in his sophomore season. However, his performance against Denver, where he was held to just 86 passing yards in blizzard-like conditions, has fueled questions about whether the Seahawks’ defense might smell blood in the water if he is indeed limited.
For now, the Patriots are sticking to their script. There is no injury, only the standard wear and tear of champions. Whether that remains the truth when the team releases its first practice report on Thursday remains the only storyline that matters in Foxborough.
