Drake Maye Cleared to Play for the Patriots in Week 9

Drake Maye registered his first NFL win in Week 8 against the New York Jets. However, Maye was sidelined before halftime. He played well for the first three drives of the game, but a concussion limited his afternoon to those three possessions. Jacoby Brissett replaced Maye in the second quarter and helped the New England Patriots earn their second victory of the season.

The NFL’s spotter had Maye checked for a head injury following that third drive. Maye took a hit to the head from Jets’ linebacker Jamien Sherwood while sliding down on a quarterback scramble. No penalty was called on the hit, and Maye remained in the game until the Patriots were forced to punt three plays later.

Here’s that hit Drake Maye took to the head.#Patriots pic.twitter.com/R1EL4B0L7a

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) October 27, 2024

Maye went into concussion protocol after the game. The five phases of concussion protocol are, 1. Rest and limited activities. 2. Aerobic exercise. 3. Football-specific exercises. 4. Participate in non-contact football drills. 5. Return to full football activity.

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Drake Maye was a limited participant in Patriots practice throughout the week for New England. On Saturday, the team announced he was out of concussion protocol and removed from the injury report. This means Maye is available to play against Tennessee, with the assumption being that Maye starts for the third week in a row.

Drake Maye’s 2024 Performance

Last week, Maye played only 20 offensive snaps. He finished 3-of-6 passing for 23 yards. Two of those incompletions were catchable balls that New England’s wide receivers failed to bring in. Maye rushed three times for 46 yards. After leading the team in rushing in each of his first two starts, Maye was leading again in Week 8 when he exited the game in the second quarter. Pro Football Focus gave Maye a 93.6 grade for his performance. It marked the highest grade for a Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady in 2017.

Through four appearances in 2024, including three starts, Drake May has lived up to expectations for the New England Patriots. He’s completed 53 of 84 passes (63.1%) for 564 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. It appears Maye is now set to improve on those numbers in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans.