New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is ramping up for the biggest game of his young career — the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara — but he showed up on the team’s injury report more than a week out. Maye was limited in Thursday’s practice because of a shoulder issue and sat out Friday after feeling ill; coach Mike Vrabel said Maye would have practiced if not for that illness. As a result, backup Josh Dobbs took the first-team reps on Friday.
Former UNC coach Mack Brown has lauded Maye’s upside, suggesting the rookie could develop into one of the all-time greats. Both Maye and Vrabel have downplayed the shoulder problem this week, noting that nobody is ever truly 100 percent this time of year and expressing optimism that Maye will be ready to go for Sunday, Feb. 8. The No. 3 overall pick in 2024 admitted to dealing with “bruises and bumps” but said he felt good after the AFC Championship win over Denver.
When asked Thursday how worried he was about Maye, Vrabel replied that he wasn’t particularly concerned. Still, fans understandably fret about whether Maye’s shoulder will hold up through a full game — especially since he’s a mobile quarterback who will face a top-tier defense. If Maye needs to leave the field for any length of time, Dobbs is the immediate replacement, so it’s worth reviewing his background.
Dobbs, 31, entered the NFL in 2017 as a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers and has since had stops in Jacksonville, Cleveland, Detroit, Tennessee, Arizona, Minnesota and San Francisco. He signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Patriots in March 2025, making New England his ninth NFL organization. Dobbs hasn’t started this season; his most recent start came in 2024 in a 47-24 loss to Arizona, when he completed 29 passes for a 67.4% completion rate with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His NFL starting record is 3–12. Over nine seasons he has completed 351 passes for 3,346 yards (62.8%), with 17 TDs and 15 INTs, plus 515 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs.
The Patriots rebuilt quickly after consecutive 4–13 campaigns, hiring a new coach, shoring up the defense and improving the offensive line — and Maye’s arm played a huge role in their turnaround. He finished the regular season among league leaders in several categories: fourth in passing yards (4,394), third in passing touchdowns (31), fourth in rushing yards by a QB (450) and fifth in rushing touchdowns by a QB (5). His production dipped in the playoffs, a trend that can be attributed to facing top-five defenses, poor weather in two games and his relative lack of postseason experience. With the stakes so high and betting lines showing a narrow margin, getting Maye close to full strength is vital for New England’s Super Bowl chances.
The Patriots’ third-string option is Tommy DeVito, known for his time with the New York Giants. The Super Bowl broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with Bad Bunny scheduled to perform at halftime.
Fan Take: This matters because a quarterback’s health can single-handedly swing the outcome of the Super Bowl — if Maye isn’t fully healthy, the Patriots’ title hopes hinge on the readiness of an experienced but seldom-used backup. More broadly, the situation highlights how teams must balance protecting young franchise quarterbacks while still trying to win the sport’s biggest prize.
