Drake Maye Injury Update: Patriots Hero is “Feeling Great” as Super Bowl Inches Closer

As you get deeper into the postseason, health becomes one of the hardest things to come by. If you need an example, look no further than this year’s matchup between the Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold, who has been nursing an oblique injury for the past several weeks, and the New England Patriots’ Drake Maye, who has been battling his own health issues since the AFC Championship.

The former UNC Tar Heel was limited in practice on two separate occasions last week with a shoulder injury, while a sudden illness caused him to sit out of Friday’s practice altogether. Nevertheless, when Maye finally sat down for his Super Bowl Opening Night interview, he insisted that he is “feeling great” ahead of his championship debut and that he’ll “be just fine” on February 8th.

“I threw a good bit. I threw as much as I would at a normal practice… I felt great, looking forward to getting back out there on Wednesday and Thursday for practice again. And Friday, get ready to get a normal week of prep.”

Suffice to say, Maye’s answer was enough to cause a collective sigh of relief across all of New England, as fans can now rest easy knowing that their sophomore sensation will be at his best come Sunday afternoon. Although they likely didn’t appreciate the fact that their QB1 also had to endure one of the worst attempts at sports journalism in recent memory.

At a later point in the scrum, a reporter directly asked Maye, “Are you playing to win this Sunday?” Considering that this will easily be the most important game of his career to date, the 23-year-old couldn’t help but shake his head and remark, “What else would we be playing to do?”

“Well, maybe lose?” they responded. “Yes,” he bluntly responded, shaking his head yet again. “That’s the goal of us coming out here. We’re coming out here to win the game, and that’s our number one priority.”

Simply put, it didn’t appear as if Maye, nor any of the fans online who complained about the interaction, appreciated the question. Given the gravity of the situation, it certainly makes you wonder whether or not the NFL is actually vetting someone before handing them a press pass to one of the most prestigious media sessions in all of professional sports.

Nevertheless, no one tied to the Patriots should be dwelling on the matter, as the Seattle Seahawks, who boasted the stingiest defense in the league this season, figure to be much more problematic than some annoying reporter.

Now is not the time for distractions, and if New England isn’t careful, then they may just find themselves as the first underdog failing to cover the spread in the championship game since the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.