Drake Maye had been a shadow of his regular-season self in the Super Bowl. The same was true in the other postseason games as well. But Sunday’s Big Game performance was especially subpar, and now it’s being revealed that the QB was playing through a legitimate shoulder injury throughout the night.
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Many initially believed Maye’s playoff struggles were happening because the New England Patriots were finally facing tough opponents. During the regular season, they had one of the easiest strength of schedules in recent memory, which helped the sophomore QB rack up stats.
However, Dr. Jesse Morse has a contrarian take and linked Maye’s poor postseason play to a shoulder injury he was reportedly dealing with. It was revealed moments before the game that the quarterback received painkiller injections, which Morse believes were likely Toradol or Cortisone. Morse also speculates that the injury may have impacted Maye’s decision-making during the game.
“Did his shoulder impact his decision-making not only in the Super Bowl but throughout the entire playoffs? I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer is yes. Compare his numbers in the regular season to the playoffs and they’re night and day,” Morse tweeted.
It is quite staggering to look at Maye’s regular-season stats compared to the postseason. In his four playoff games, he completed 58.3% of his passes and threw just six touchdowns to four interceptions. Now, compare that to his league-leading 72% completion rate in the regular season and his 31-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Drake Maye received a pain-killing injection into his shoulder before the game.
Likely either Toradol or Cortisone.
Healthy players don’t receive injections.
Did his shoulder impact his decision-making not only in the Super Bowl but throughout the entire playoffs?
I wouldn’t… https://t.co/YjUHgZuXH1
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) February 9, 2026
In reaction to Morse’s post, though, fans weren’t having the excuses. “Is there a player who is perfectly healthy by the team they play in the SB? Sounds like cope,” one wrote.
“Sounds like a giant bowl of excuses…easy path to the SB. Shot no shot, OL was man-handled all night!” another noted.
“Dr, do you not think playing the easiest schedule in the regular season vs top 5 defenses most of the playoffs if not all of it had nothing to do with the day and night difference in stats?” someone questioned.
is there a player who is perfectly healthy by the team they play in the SB?
Sounds like cope.
— Edward Rodriguez (@ERodz3) February 9, 2026
Fans clearly did not want to hear the explanation behind Maye’s poor form. They seemingly had already made up their minds that Maye isn’t as good as many thought he was. While this could be true, it’s still likely the shoulder injury played a factor.
At the end of the day, regardless of who was hurt, the Pats were simply outplayed by the Seattle Seahawks defense. The O-line couldn’t protect Maye, and the defensive line routinely got into the backfield. It was the same story as last year’s Super Bowl, when Patrick Mahomes was constantly under duress against the Philadelphia Eagles.
We still believe Maye is a talented player with a bright future ahead of him. But last night was not his best showing. He will have to wear this one on the chin all offseason and come out with something to prove in 2026. The criticisms are going to come fast and hit hard. In fact, the strength-of-schedule critics are already here, loud and proud.
