Drake Maye’s shoulder has turned into a top talking point as the New England Patriots prepare for Super Bowl LX.
The Patriots cited an illness and a right shoulder injury when Maye missed practice on Friday. They projected him as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday’s injury report.
Vrabel told reporters Friday that Maye would have practiced if not for the illness. The head coach reiterated that stance during Monday’s WEEI interview at the Super Bowl’s Radio Row.
“I think I tried to say this as clearly as I could last week. If he were to practice, he would have been limited on Friday,” Vrabel said. “He was not able to practice because of the illness. So again, we’ll work through these things through the week, just like everybody else does. But we’re confident that the preparation that’s required for each position on our football team will be there by the end of the week, and everybody will be available.”
Vrabel previously downplayed any concern over Maye’s shoulder on Thursday. The MVP finalist was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Having just defeated the Denver Broncos without Bo Nix, the Patriots know what it’s like to lose a starting quarterback during the playoffs. They’ll hope to avoid those same circumstances with Maye, who can become the youngest starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.
Maye still has a full week to get ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl LX showdown against the Seattle Seahawks at Santa Clara.
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