FOXBOROUGH – The plot thickens
Guess who didn’t practice for the Patriots today after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday? Yep, none other than quarterback Drake Maye.
However, his absence wasn’t just right shoulder-related. The 23-year-old is also sick.
“We’ve had a lot of guys over the last month, six weeks here, with illness,” Mike Vrabel said post-practice. “So, again, just trying to do what’s best for the player and the team. I’m trying to take care of guys – don’t spread anything,”
Maye was, however, in meetings before the team worked out in shoulder pads and helmets. This was the Pats’ final session here in Foxborough. Tomorrow, they board a jet and head to Santa Clara, California, for the week-plus-long preparations for LX.
All of this is less than ideal for Maye and the Pats. He hadn’t missed a practice all season prior to today. Vrabel estimates that the game plan for 1st-, 2nd and 3rd-down situations has already been installed this week, and that next week will focus more on situational football and, if something crops up, on modifications to the current plan.
“Practice is important,” Vrabel said, not dismissing this missed time for his quarterback. “There are things that come up that again – there are other ways to prepare. A lot of today was a lot of carryover from yesterday, just in more, I guess, a little faster pace…”
As for how Maye’s shoulder held up after lighter-than-normal work on Thursday, Vrabel told us “favorably. Yeah, he was fine.”
BEDARD HERE: As I’ve reported previously, there’s nothing seriously wrong with Maye’s throwing shoulder. It’s just normal bumps and bruises associated with a 20-game schedule, which included three-straight games against tough, hard-hitting defenses. The Patriots wanted to take advantage of the bye week to get Maye a little rest with a lighter schedule. He’s expected to be full-go in Santa Clara. A fourth team source confirmed that there are zero
