Maye entered the protocol in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 25-22 victory over the unused York Jets last Sunday. Today he was a restricted player in practice on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The denial. The third overall pick in the 2024 draft, Maye was named the Patriots’ starter in Class 6 and then veteran Jacoby Brissett broke through as the quarterback of supremacy. Maye has helped spark what has been a stagnant offense, going 53 of 84 for 564 yards with 5 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has added 13 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown.
On an 18-yard scramble late in the first quarter, Maye was about to slide late in the run when Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood’s helmet made contact with the back of Maye’s helmet. Maye was slow to get to his feet, but stayed in the game for four more plays.
The next Maye came to the sideline after a punt, the NFL’s separate concussion observer requested that the quarterback be evaluated, according to schoolteacher Jerod Mayo. Brissett took over the rest of the game and helped lead the team to a comeback, and Mayo announced that Maye told him at halftime that he hoped to return in the second half.
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday that the Patriots don’t want to limit Maye’s work, but are concerned about keeping him conscious when he leaves.
“You hate to take that away from a player. That’s one of his strengths, the ability to get out of the pocket,” Van Pelt said. “The only thing we talked about was being safe on the slide. A lot of times you get to the space and you feel like you’re clean and you can go feet first, which is what we train in open spaces. But you never know what’s coming behind”. So quarterbacks who avoid injuries will often find a soft spot by going headfirst and ducking that way.
“It’s something we continue to work with, with him: work with what’s around you in those conditions. But in the end we travel to every game asking him to protect the ball and protect himself. That goes for every quarterback.” .
Against the Titans (1-6), the Patriots (2-6) look to win consecutive games in the first age since October 2022.
