Patriots QB Drake Maye addresses shoulder issue ahead of Super Bowl

Predictably, second-year New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel have been accused of gamesmanship regarding what they have and haven't said about Maye's sore throwing shoulder over the past week or so. 

Specifically, Maye has insisted throughout Super Bowl week that his shoulder is doing "great." He expanded on his status while speaking with reporters on Thursday. 

Drake Maye promises he's not lying about shoulder

"I’m not trying to lie to you guys when I say I’m feeling great," Maye explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "I’m feeling great, and looking forward to getting out there today. Another day of practice, we got one tomorrow, and feeling pretty good."

Maye's shoulder has been the subject of discussions since it was noticed that he seemed to land on it in the third quarter of New England's 10-7 AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos back on Jan. 25. That said, ESPN's Mike Reiss noted that Maye took all the first-team reps during the Patriots' practice on Wednesday. 

As of Thursday afternoon, there was no indication Maye had experienced any kind of setback. 

When Drake Maye had an idea the Patriots could be Super Bowl bound

In early October, the Patriots earned a thrilling 23-20 victory at the rival Buffalo Bills after Andres Borregales made a 52-yard field goal with under 20 seconds remaining in the contest. That Week 5 matchup came up on Thursday after Maye was asked when he first realized the Patriots could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. 

"It's hard to pinpoint one exact point," Maye said, per Alex Barth of Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub. "The win on the road against Buffalo was good for us...other than that, continued success on the road has been huge for us. Try to find a way to do it one more time here."

The Patriots finished the 2025 regular season with a perfect 8-0 record on the road, and they then defeated the Broncos in Denver to clinch a trip to the Super Bowl. As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list New England as a 4.5-point underdog for the upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks that will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.