The New England Patriots had the worst possible start to their Week 17 game with the Los Angeles Chargers as Drake Maye was taken to the blue tent following the game’s first drive.
Let’s examine what happened to Maye, the latest injury update and the fantasy football impact of his situation.
What Happened to Drake Maye?
Maye was scrambling on 3rd-and-4 when he took a hit to the head along the sideline. The Patriots’ QB was trying to get to the first down line but was hit just as he stepped out of bounds attempting to avoid the hit. Maye dropped the ball as he went to the ground and took a few moments to get up from the hit.
Not a great situation for Drake Mayepic.twitter.com/hzpvbHLOZU
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 28, 2024
Maye left the field of his own accord but looked hobbled. He initially went to the bench with his offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, but was then taken to the blue tent. Maye subsequently headed to the locker room, which is rarely a good sign, especially with possible concussions. He was then listed as questionable to return with a head injury.
Maye returned to the bench shortly after and went back to sitting alongside Van Pelt. That appears to be a good sign that he has passed the concussion protocol and should be able to continue playing in Week 17.
If this does get diagnosed as a concussion, it would be Maye’s second concussion of the season. After taking over as the starter in Week 6, Maye left the Patriots’ Week 8 game with a head injury that was diagnosed as a concussion. He did not miss a game due to that concussion, returning to the field in Week 9.
If Maye is ruled out of the Week 17 game, Jacoby Brissett would be the starter, having begun the season in that role before being benched after Week 5.
How Do Maye and Jacoby Brissett Compare in PFN’s QB+?
Maye has clearly been better than Brissett in 2024. Maye ranks 18th in PFN’s QB+ metric with a 76.8 score and a C grade, while Brissett is 40th of 42 qualified players with a score of 55 and an F grade.
For the season, Maye has a 0.04 EPA per dropback, while Brissett has a -0.20 EPA per dropback. Maye has been better than Brissett when working from either a clean pocket (0.22 EPA/DB vs. 0.06) or under pressure (-0.27 vs. -0.52 EPA/DB). He has also been better in terms of nYPA (6.2 vs. 4.4), completion percentage (67.7% vs. 58.8%), and third-down conversion rate (35.7% vs. 32.4%).
In his five starts this season, Brissett did not finish with a grade above a C, with a score of 73.6. In contrast, Maye has only had two games graded below a C, with his best game having come in Week 16 when he finished with a B- grade (81.7).
What Is the Fantasy Impact of Maye’s Injury?
Maye has shown glimpses of fantasy promise, but this injury reinforces some of our concerns. While he is a plus athlete, the Patriots have been hesitant to scheme up runs for him. Play-calling can be what separates the good fantasy options from the great — imagine if Jalen Hurts didn’t have drawn-up runs?
As for 2024, there’s not much impact here. You’re not playing any Patriots pass catcher with confidence with or without Maye, and he hasn’t taken food off the plate of this running game.