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It appears New England Patriots star quarterback Drake Maye injured his shoulder during the team’s 10-7 victory in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about internet doctors speculating about Maye’s injury, and Vrabel didn’t defuse Patriots Nation’s concerns with his response.
“There’s not a single player on our team that’s 100 percent healthy,” Vrabel said during a recent appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” when asked about Maye.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts after the New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. January 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Vrabel was then asked if he thought Maye was healthy enough to play at a high level, and the head coach continued to not directly answer the question.
“I guess we’ll look at the injury report and whenever we have to turn it in, we’ll turn it in. But no one is 100 percent. This will be our 21st game.”
Fans on the Internet speculated that Maye was injured in the third quarter when he was hit during a scrum and immediately grabbed his right shoulder. Maye said after the match that he had some bumps and bruises.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looks toward his bench during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“A few bumps and bruises, but hey, that’s what it takes,” Maye said Sunday. “And I think a lot of these guys in this locker room are fighting through challenges and I think at the same time the best thing about it is we have another chance. Another chance I have to be healthy.”
Vrabel, during a news conference Tuesday, said concerns about Maye’s injury were likely overblown.
“Here’s what I’m going to start saying about this radio show, it’s like Miranda rights. There’s nothing I can say on this that can be used against me when I come back here,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “I think everyone, including Drake, is not 100 percent at this part of the year, and we will do everything we can to help our players prepare and prepare for this game.”
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy after the AFC NFL Championship football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Patriots will need Maye to be at his best in the Super Bowl, as the Seattle Seahawks defense was the best in the NFL this season, allowing just 17.1 points per game. Maye, who was fantastic in the regular season, did not have the same success in the postseason, despite appearing in the Super Bowl.
In the regular season, the 23-year-old completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In the playoffs, Maye was not as effective through the air, completing 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while getting sacked 15 times.
However, Maye was dynamic with his legs, totaling 141 yards and a touchdown, the only one the Patriots scored in the AFC Championship Game, in three games.
