Will Drake Maye play vs. Titans? Patriots QB’s status still murky originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The good news for New England Patriots fans: There’s still a chance Drake Maye will play on Sunday. The bad news: There’s also a chance he won’t.
The rookie quarterback remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed to reporters Friday. Maye will be a limited participant in practice for the third straight day, per Mayo, which means his final status may not be determined until Saturday or even Sunday.
When asked if there’s a chance Maye gets cleared in time to play against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8, Mayo responded with a definitive “yes,” although he also expressed confidence in veteran QB Jacoby Brissett should Maye not be cleared in time.
“Look, any given day, any player can just wake up with something and not be able to play,” Mayo said. “I will say this, if (Maye) can’t play, we have enough faith and confidence in Jacoby to be able to step in and help us win.”
Maye was placed in the protocol last Sunday after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in the Patriots’ win over the New York Jets. He practiced for 30 minutes on Wednesday and wasn’t on the field during the portion of the practice open to the media. On Thursday, Maye was seen taking reps with New England’s quarterbacks, suggesting he could be in Phase 4 of the league’s concussion protocol, titled: “Club-based non-contact training drills.”
In Phase 4, players can throw, catch and run in practice, although all activity must be non-contact. In order to advance to the fifth and final phase, players need to undergo “neurocognitive and balance testing.”
The good news for New England is that Maye looked more active in practice Friday, taking first-team QB reps ahead of Brissett and third-stringer Joe Milton.
The Patriots travel to Tennessee on Saturday, so whether Maye makes the trip with his teammates could tell us if the rookie will be available, or if Brissett will start in his place.
UPDATE: Maye is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game after being a limited participant in Friday’s practice.
