From the New England Patriots’ 35-6 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, Patriots starting quarterback Drake Maye has refused on multiple occasions to vehemently deny that the injury to his throwing shoulder he dealt with early in 2026 is affecting his play this season.
People inside the Patriots seem to have noticed what Maye did and didn’t say after New England fell to 1-2 on the campaign.
Patriots think “there’s nothing wrong” with Drake Maye’s shoulder
“I don’t think it’s any injury,” Patriots reporter Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal and CLNS Media said of Maye’s three performances this season on the latest edition of Bedard’s podcast, per Heavy’s Dan Morrison. “In fact, talking to people around the team, they are befuddled by the way he has talked about his shoulder. Because there is nothing wrong with his shoulder.”
While speaking to reporters on Monday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel he said no “guess” Maye’s shoulder “is going to be an issue going forward.” In a Monday afternoon appearance on WEEI, Maye dance around a question about whether his “right shoulder and throwing arm feel 100 percent physically” this fall.
“Any time I’m out there, and I’m dressed in uniform on the field, I’m gonna play 100 percent and give it my all. That’s kind of what I should say,” Maye added at that time.
Does Drake Maye have an earful about his shoulder?
Earlier this week, orne-time regular-season Most Valuable Player and current NFL analyst Boomer Esiason It has been suggested that Maye may face “a psychological thing” amid the signal-caller’s struggles. Meanwhile, Bedard expanded on what people associated with the Patriots are allegedly saying about Maye’s supposed shoulder issue.
“Some people in the building think it might be coming from…the people around him,” Bedard said of the Patriots and Maye. “Whether that’s his family or his agent trying to bake in an excuse for him being cast.”
Drunkenness finished Week 3 of the season responsible for a league-worst seven turnovers. According to ESPN stats, he started Wednesday ranked 25th in the NFL among 30 qualified players with a 45.9 adjusted QBR for the campaign.
Whatever happens with Maye, he and the Patriots will look to bounce back when New England takes on the 3-0 Buffalo Bills this coming Sunday. On Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook made the Patriots seven-point road underdogs for that game.