New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Thursday he isn’t overly worried about Drake Maye’s throwing shoulder, emphasizing that his focus is on getting the team ready and making sure everyone has a plan. The Patriots’ preliminary injury report, released Wednesday as they gear up for their first practice before Super Bowl LX, listed the second-year QB as limited. Maye avoided saying outright on a Tuesday WEEI radio interview that he has a right shoulder injury, telling reporters he feels fine, plans to rest more, and believes the soreness is cumulative from throwing frequently — “four days a week, 30 weeks in a row,” including training camp — rather than from a single game.
If the team had held practice Wednesday, linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) and edge rusher Harold Landry (knee) would also have been absent alongside Maye. Maye noted after Sunday’s win over the Broncos that many teammates are dealing with aches and issues, a point Vrabel reiterated by saying nobody is completely healthy at this stage. Behind Maye on the depth chart are veteran backup Joshua Dobbs and ex-Giants QB Tommy DeVito.
With 10 days until the Patriots meet the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, all attention will be on how many reps Maye takes in practice and how he’s listed on subsequent injury reports.
Fan Take: This matters because Maye’s availability and workload directly affect how the Patriots prepare offensively for the biggest game of the year, and any shoulder concern raises stakes for both team strategy and betting markets. If the league’s young quarterbacks routinely reach the Super Bowl while managing nagging injuries, it could prompt teams to rethink practice workloads and injury-report transparency going forward.
