Patriots Quarterback Drake Maye Addresses Ongoing Concerns Regarding His Right Shoulder Injury

Drake Maye’s early-season struggles have renewed questions about whether his right shoulder, injured during last season’s playoff run, is affecting his throwing. The Patriots quarterback has underthrown passes and made costly mistakes, but the available reports do not establish that the shoulder is responsible. Maye said he felt good during training camp and denied that he has a shoulder problem, while acknowledging he thinks about the injury at times; when asked on WEEI whether his arm was fully back to its pre-injury condition, he did not offer a clear answer. He has also said he intends to give full effort whenever he plays, and coach Mike Vrabel said he could not speak to how Maye’s shoulder feels.
Maye said after the Super Bowl loss that he received a pain-relieving injection in his right shoulder before the game; reports also traced the injury to a hard hit during the AFC Championship Game against Denver.
Article 1 described Maye’s two end-zone interceptions—in Week 1 against Seattle and Week 3 against Jacksonville—as poor decisions rather than poor throws, and also highlighted his fumbles and pocket decision-making as problems.
The reporting raised other possible explanations for Maye’s downturn, including the absence of A.J. Brown, defenses adjusting after a year of film, and Maye struggling to read what he sees on the field.
Maye returned to training camp in summer 2026 without having undergone major shoulder surgery, according to Article 5.
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