FOXBORO, Mass. — Breath easy, New England Patriots fans: Drake Maye is just fine.
Maye surprisingly popped up on Wednesday’s injury report due to a knee issue. He was listed as a full participant, but a rumor about a post-practice MRI and confusion over when he suffered the injury prompted speculation about the rookie quarterback.
Thursday yielded positive news on the young signal-caller, both before and during practice.
Alex Van Pelt Comments on Drake Maye’s Knee Injury
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt downplayed Maye’s injury when asked about it Thursday morning.
“Yeah, I’m not concerned,” Van Pelt said. “That’s for the head coach and trainers. But looked good to me yesterday as he worked.”
Van Pelt was similarly positive when asked whether Maye’s injury could affect the game plan for Sunday’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
“We’ll see as we go down through the course of the week,” Van Pelt said. “But right now … I think he feels good about where he is.”
Van Pelt was notably vague with one of his answers. When asked to clarify whether Maye suffered the injury last Sunday or during Wednesday’s practice, Van Pelt claimed ignorance.
“I don’t want to discuss injuries, I never will,” Van Pelt said. “I don’t even know to be honest with you.”
That last part is tough to believe, but perhaps Van Pelt simply was following orders not to discuss injuries. Regardless, speculation will persist.
Reporters got a close look at Maye shortly after the conclusion of Van Pelt’s news conference.
How Did Maye Look at Thursday’s Patriots Practice?
During media availability, Maye walked through the Patriots’ locker room without a brace or noticeable limp. He appeared to be moving well.
Maye also looked fine during the media-access portion of Patriots practice.
Drake Maye looked like he was moving fine at practice. No limp, and no visible brace on his knee. @NBC10 #NEPats https://t.co/Q7RnyWxT63 pic.twitter.com/FwgNYFSEzV
— Nicole Menner (@NicoleMenner) October 17, 2024
Rhamondre Stevenson and Vederian Lowe are the only absences at today's Patriots practice. Marcus Jones is back.
Drake Maye seemed to be moving just fine on his injured knee pic.twitter.com/AbUxESrb9P
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 17, 2024
No visible brace or limp for Drake Maye today at practice. Doesn’t appear limited by his new knee injury. pic.twitter.com/WPDHkoQiS2
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) October 17, 2024
Drake Maye focusing on footwork and throwing on the move at Thursday’s practice. pic.twitter.com/ml31EH7zlN
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 17, 2024
As for practice attendance, tackle Vederian Lowe and running back Rhamondre Stevenson both missed their second consecutive practice of the week.
Stevenson hasn’t practiced since suffering a foot injury during New England’s Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He seemingly is a long shot to suit up against the Jaguars. The same goes for Lowe, who suffered an ankle injury during last Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans.
On a positive note, cornerback Marcus Jones returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s session due to an illness and groin injury.
Fantasy Implications of Maye’s Knee Injury
There currently isn’t any reason to believe Maye is at risk of missing Sunday’s game in London. That could change as the week progresses, but at this point, there’s nothing to worry about.
Maye could be an intriguing streaming option for fantasy football managers looking for a quarterback this weekend. We normally would advise against starting any QB in the Patriots’ offense, but Maye’s dual-threat talents could lead to big numbers against a bad Jaguars defense.
In his first NFL start, Maye completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two interceptions, one lost fumble, and four sacks. He also rushed five times for 38 yards.
It was an encouraging debut, albeit one that saw many rough plays from the No. 3 overall pick.
That first TD feeling 👏@DrakeMaye2 | @KayshonBoutte1 pic.twitter.com/iBVEepZwTO
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 15, 2024
With all that said, Maye’s mobility is a big part of what makes him a viable fantasy QB. If he’s at all limited in Sunday’s game, he might not be able to post enough rushing numbers to offset inevitable sacks.
We’ll learn more about Maye’s status as the week progresses. The Patriots will practice again on Thursday before flying overseas later in the day and practicing in London on Friday.
Sunday’s game at Wembley Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET.
