FOXBORO, Mass. — Drake Maye seemingly has a real shot of playing this Sunday when the New England Patriots visit the Tennessee Titans.
That’s the vibe I got while watching Maye during the media-access portion of Thursday’s practice. The rookie quarterback, who suffered a concussion last Sunday, appeared to be much further along than most players four days removed from sustaining a head injury.
Let’s go over the latest on Maye and his concussion rehab.
How Did Drake Maye Look at Thursday’s Patriots Practice?
Before Wednesday’s practice, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Maye would practice for no more than 30 minutes, indicating he was in Phase 3 of the NFL’s concussion protocol (more on that in a bit).
Maye wasn’t on the field during the media-access period — which lasted roughly 10 minutes — but later was listed as a limited participant in practice, meaning he showed up after reporters left the field. This is just speculation, but the Patriots might not have wanted to burn Maye’s practice clock on stretching and conditioning drills.
However, Thursday was a different story. Maye was on the field and making throws during the media-access period, which again lasted roughly 10 minutes. He moved well and made multiple off-platform throws.
Drake Maye at today’s Patriots practice pic.twitter.com/wzJpQAe3vz
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 31, 2024
Drake Maye was present during the media-access portion of today's Patriots practice.
Yesterday, when protocol limited him to just 30 minutes, Maye showed up after reporters left.
Could be viewed as a sign he's progressed to Phase 4 of the concussion protocol. pic.twitter.com/CA6q1N6DFf
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 31, 2024
In theory, Maye could’ve left the field after 30 minutes and still could be in Phase 3 of the concussion protocol. But Thursday’s activity indicated he’d progressed at least to Phase 4, thus increasing his chances of playing against the Titans.
Now, let’s look at the details of the NFL’s concussion protocol.
What’s the NFL’s Concussion Protocol?
Here are all five phases.
Phase 1: Symptom-Limited Activity
“The player is prescribed rest, limiting or, if necessary, avoiding activities (both physical and cognitive) which increase or aggravate symptoms. Under athletic training staff supervision, limited stretching and balance training can be introduced, progressing to light aerobic exercise, all as tolerated.”
Phase 2: Aerobic Exercise
“Under direct oversight of the team’s medical staff, the player should begin graduated cardiovascular exercise and may also engage in dynamic stretching and balance training. Neurocognitive and balance testing can be administered after completion of Phase Two and the results should be interpreted as back to baseline.”
Phase 3: Football-Specific Exercise
“The player continues with supervised cardiovascular exercises that are increased and may mimic sport-specific activities, and supervised strength training is introduced. The player is allowed to practice with the team in sport-specific exercise for 30 minutes or less with ongoing and careful monitoring.”
Phase 4: Club-Based Non-Contact Training
“The player continues cardiovascular, strength and balance training, team-based sports-specific exercise, and participates in non-contact football activities (e.g. throwing, catching, running, and other position-specific activities). Neurocognitive and balance testing should be completed no later than the end of Phase Four with the results interpreted as back to baseline.”
Phase 5: Full Football Activity
“Upon clearance by the Club physician for full football activity involving contact, the player must be examined by the Independent Neurological Consultant (INC) assigned to his Club. If the INC concurs with the Club physician that the player’s concussion has resolved, he may participate in his Club’s next practice or game.”
If Maye was in Phase 4 on Thursday, he wouldn’t have been permitted to participate in 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 team drills. Such activity isn’t permitted until a player reaches Phase 5 of the protocol.
We will likely learn more about Maye’s Week 9 status during Mayo’s Friday morning news conference.
Other Notes From Patriots Practice
- Zero players were absent during the media-access portion of practice. Christian Elliss, Vederian Lowe, and Jaquelin Roy were all on the field after missing Wednesday’s session.
- Elliss, who’s dealing with an abdominal injury, appeared to be limited. He stood on the sideline without a helmet on during the media period.
Nobody was absent during today's #Patriots practice, but Christian Elliss appeared to be limited after sitting out yesterday due to an abdominal injury pic.twitter.com/rUb3PWQeMg
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 31, 2024
- Antonio Gibson, who was limited Wednesday due to a toe injury, appeared to ramp up participation. That’s a good sign, as he appeared to be in real discomfort at the beginning of Wednesday’s practice.
- The weather was perfect. Beach-worthy, honestly.
- To celebrate Halloween, the Patriots played the “Ghostbusters” theme song at the start of practice.