The Patriots finally put a timeline on Drake Maye’s shoulders and Josh McDaniels said nothing will change about Sunday.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels offered the first real explanation for why Drake Maye went on the injury report in New England this week, and the answer should quiet at least one strand of speculation that has followed his quarterback for a month. The shoulder that cost Maye last winter isn’t the one that’s causing problems today.
“I believe it just got dinged last week,” the 50-year-old said Thursday, pointing to the 35-6 loss in Jacksonville.
Josh McDaniels said Drake Maye’s shoulder “sounded last week.” It didn’t affect his game plan for this weekend pic.twitter.com/WmDISg1K7i
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 1, 2026
That detail is important. Maye hurt both right shoulders in last season’s AFC Championship Game and needed a pain-killing injection before Super Bowl LX’s 29-13 loss to Seattle. Until McDaniels spoke, it was unclear whether the current assignment was reversing that injury or something new.
McDaniels suspects it happened on one of Maye’s four carries against the Jaguars. “We haven’t had a big meeting and talked specifically, like, when this or that or the other happened, but yeah, he ran the ball a few times last week,” he said. “And I think that’s what happened.”
He emphatically stated that nothing had changed in the operation. Asked if the injury affected practice or play-calling, McDaniels didn’t hesitate. “Not yet,” he said.
“He’s always been a guy who can run and do things with his legs and all that, and he’s taken some hits since he’s been in the National Football League,” McDaniels continued. “That’s kind of the part of the process when you can make things happen with your legs. You’re going to have some hits. They’ll definitely tell me if there’s something we felt we couldn’t do or he couldn’t do, and that wasn’t the case. I know he’s a tough kid.
Maye said the same Wednesday, insisting the shoulder has not affected his throwing or his decision-making. He became a full participant in training in two days.
Injury talk exists because of how the season has started. Maye has thrown one touchdown against six interceptions through three games, with seven total turnovers, and New England is 1-2 heading into Buffalo on Sunday.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels offered the first real explanation for why Drake Maye went on the injury report in New England this week, and the answer should quiet at least one strand of speculation that has followed his quarterback for a month. The shoulder that cost Maye last winter isn’t the one that’s causing problems today.