At first glance, the New England Patriots appeared to have escaped the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos without any major injury concerns. However, on Monday, speculation began circulating online that quarterback Drake Maye would potentially injured his right shoulder while throwing on a play from scrimmage in the third quarter.
Maye himself showed no limitations after the game, but admitted to some “bumps and bruises” during his press conference after the 10-7 victory. Are they a valid reason to worry? That remains to be seen, especially with Mike Vrabel choosing not to directly address the rumors Monday morning.
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Appearing on WEEI The Greg Hill ShowThe Patriots head coach channeled his inner Bill Belichick when asked about Maye’s supposed shoulder ailment:
Q: Is he 100% healthy today as you prepare?
Vrabel: No player on our team is 100% healthy.
Q: Is he healthy enough to play at a high level?
Vrabel: 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%. This will be our 21st match.
Maye finished the match without missing a moment and did not appear particularly bothered by his shoulder or any other injuries during and after the fight. He completed his longest pass of the day, a 31-yarder to Mack Hollins, two plays after the scrimmage in question and was quick to reemerge after a sack in the fourth quarter that saw him land on that same right shoulder.
As Vrabel noted, his team will share all necessary information as part of his injury report. The first of those leading up to Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks will be released next Wednesday.
Before flying to California, the Patriots are scheduled to hit the practice fields Thursday and Friday this week.
