New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel thinks people are talking too much about Drake Maye's shoulder.
During an appearance on WEEI, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about online speculation that QB Drake Maye suffered a shoulder injury in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.
Vrabel didn't answer that specifically, but the former Patriots star said "there's not a player on our team that's 100 percent healthy" at this point in the season, which is true.
After his interview with WEEI, Vrabel told Patriots reporters that Maye's shoulder injury is being overblown.
"I wouldn't say anybody hurt anything," Vrabel said. "This is a sport where there's gonna be things that come up. We'll talk about whatever status each player has for the game once we're required to. We understand that. We were able to function offensively, throw the football, run the football, so that's kinda where everybody's at."
Maye and the Patriots face Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. It's a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, a game Tom Brady and the Patriots won, 28-24.
Brady is the greatest QB of all time, but even he never won a playoff game in Denver. Maye accomplished that feat in just Year 2.
A UNC product, Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. He is a finalist for the AP Most Valuable Player Award.
The Patriots selected Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Maye has 6,670 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns in the regular season.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a star linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.
"I won't win it. It'll be the players that'll win the game," Vrabel said. "I promise you, it won't be me that'll win it, and I promise you that I'll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game."
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