The New England Patriots quarterback has given his verdict on the harm that hindered his efficiency in Santa Clara
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has confirmed he won’t want surgical procedure on the throwing shoulder harm he carried into Tremendous Bowl LX, saying relaxation alone must be sufficient to resolve the issue after a bruising finish to the season.
Talking after the crew’s last offseason assembly at Gillette Stadium, the rookie revealed he required a pain-killing injection earlier than the Tremendous Bowl however expects an easy restoration.
“Time is one of the best healer,” Maye mentioned. “I positively simply want break day. Nothing that wants something to be finished.”
The harm stemmed from a heavy hit late within the third quarter of the AFC Championship Recreation on January 25.
Sliding on the finish of a 13-yard run, Maye landed awkwardly as Denver Broncos security Talanoa Hufanga got here down on high of him, together with his proper shoulder taking a lot of the affect.
“My arm was feeling nice all yr. I don’t suppose throwing was the difficulty. It’s a case of getting one hit within the AFC Championship Recreation that was unlucky timing,” he defined.
The 2-week hole earlier than the Tremendous Bowl allowed him to play, though he remained on the harm report all through the build-up. Maye was reluctant to make use of the setback as an excuse for the Patriots’ defeat.
“You possibly can’t blame issues on accidents. Issues occur like this on a regular basis within the league. I used to be blessed this yr – what a yr of well being.
“You possibly can’t zone in on one little factor on the shoulder. It was simply unlucky that it occurred to be the throwing one. On the identical time, I may have prevented it or made extra performs. I used to be feeling like I used to be capable of make throws within the sport and was myself.”
Maye displays on painful Tremendous Bowl
New England entered the Tremendous Bowl with one of many league’s most efficient offenses, rating third in complete yards through the common season.
Nonetheless, they struggled badly towards Seattle’s top-ranked scoring protection and had been shut out via the primary three quarters.
Underneath fixed stress early on, Maye accomplished 6 of 11 passes for simply 48 yards within the first half. Safety improved after the break however his rhythm by no means totally returned, and with the Patriots chasing the sport he was pressured right into a high-volume fourth quarter.
He completed 27-of-43 for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, whereas being sacked six instances in a 29-13 defeat.
“It stings. It’s going to sting for some time,” Maye mentioned. “It’s what makes this sport particular. We had been shut, and you bought to attempt to discover that further edge. I didn’t play in addition to I might have preferred down the stretch, however I’m going to vow to do my greatest to work laborious and get us again to these moments in these video games.”
The Patriots now enter the offseason with renewed optimism. The six-time Tremendous Bowl champions have one of many largest cap area budgets, of round $60million, and are anticipated to put money into their offense as they construct a good higher crew for 2026.
With no surgical procedure required and a full restoration anticipated via relaxation, Maye will return subsequent season with a wiser head and cooler shoulders, even when he missed out on a hoop this time.
