Patriots OC reveals latest Drake Maye injury update

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patriots OC reveals latest Drake Maye injury update

By Steven Kubitza | Last updated Oct 1, 2026 2:12 PM ET

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are not in a fun spot right now. The reigning AFC champions are 1-2 to start the 2026 season and are fresh off a dismal 35-6 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Add in the rumored rift between Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel and it seems all is not well in New England.

Maye in particular is under the national spotlight following his slow start to the season. He has a combined 585 passing yards through three weeks with only one touchdown and a whopping six interceptions.

A potential explanation for his struggles showed up this week when Maye surprisingly landed on the team's injury report. He was listed with a right shoulder injury, but as a full participant in practice.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels spoke to the media Thursday and downplayed any serious injury concerns.

Patriots OC speaks on Drake Maye injury concern

Patriots reporter Mark Daniels shared McDaniels' comments on Maye.

"They would tell me if there was something that we felt like we couldn't do, or he couldn't do, and that has not been the case," McDaniels said. "I know he's a tough kid. He doesn't make a big deal out of much. And so, business as usual."

Josh McDaniels said Drake Maye’s shoulder “got dinged last week.” It hasn’t impacted his game plan for this weekend pic.twitter.com/WmDISg1K7i
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 1, 2026

The main point fans will want to hear is that McDaniels described Maye's shoulder as getting "dinged" last week, but it is not impacting the preparation for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

That takes away any potential injury excuse for his lackluster performance thus far.

Sunday's game is not necessarily a must-win, but it could represent a potential breaking point for Maye and Vrabel if the rumors of their rift are true. Benching the former No. 3 overall pick is not going to happen if he's healthy, yet another bad loss and rough performance from the quarterback could impact the confidence of the team for the remainder of 2026.

Maye lit up opposing defenses in 2025 to the tune of 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. Whether he can replicate that remains to be seen in a crucial third year before the Patriots decide whether to pay him a massive sum of money or not.

Steven Kubitza

Steven Kubitza is a Cleveland, Ohio, native with over a decade in the news industry. His work has been featured on Yahoo Sports, FOX Sports, and FanSided, among other outlets. He is a lifelong Browns fan who is convinced the team will turn things around at some point in the next 50 years

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