Drake Maye threw passes as limited participant at Patriots practice on Wednesday
FOXBORO -- New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye will be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, head coach Jerod Mayo announced Wednesday morning. Maye is currently in the NFL's concussion protocol after leaving last week's win over the New York Jets with a head injury.
"He will throw the ball at times, but he will be limited," Mayo told reporters inside Gillette Stadium.
Maye will practice for no more than 30 minutes on Wednesday, and it remains unclear if he'll be able to play this weekend when the Patriots visit the Tennessee Titans. But the quarterback taking the practice field on Wednesday is a sign of progress after he was knocked out of the team's Week 8 win, and opens the door for Maye to potentially play this weekend against the Titans.
Drake Maye's concussion
Maye was injured at the end of an 18-yard scrambled at the end of the first quarter of New England's Week 8 win over New York. Jets safety Jamien Sherwood came in from behind and delivered a hit to the back of Maye's head as the QB slid at the end of his run.
No flag was thrown on the play, and Maye stayed on the field for four more snaps before he was told to head to the blue medical tent. Mayo said that was initiated by the NFL, and the team is following the league's protocols to get Maye back on the field.
Mayo added that Maye remains upbeat as he goes through the recovery process.
"His spirits are good. They were good after the game. He threw a couple dimes even after the hit so he was upbeat," said Mayo.
NFL's Concussion Protocol
Before he can return to action, Maye will have to go through the five steps of the NFL's concussion protocol:
1. Symptom limited activity
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Football-specific exercise
4. Club-based non-contact drills
5. Full football activity/clearance
Based on what Mayo said Wednesday, it sounds like Maye is into the third step. (Mayo couldn't confirm that.) The rookie will ultimately have to be cleared by an independent doctor before he is given final clearance, but there is plenty of time for that to happen before Sunday.
"I do have confidence that if the league says he's ready to play that he'll go out and operate," Mayo said Wednesday. "And saying that, I feel very comfortable putting Jacoby [Brissett] in as he's a professional and always stays ready."
Mayo didn't want to get into any "What if" scenarios leading up to Sunday's game against the Titans, but did say that Joe Milton will be Brissett's backup if Maye isn't cleared.
"That stuff can change in a single minute, so it's difficult to get into that 'if he gets cleared,'" said Mayo.
13 Patriots limited at Wednesday's practice
Maye was not alone with his "limited" designation for Wednesday's practice. In total, 13 Patriots were limited in the session:
CB Alex Austin, Ankle
S Kyle Dugger, Ankle
DT Daniel Ekuale, Abdomen
RB Antonio Gibson, Toe
CB Jonathan Jones, Shoulder
G Michael Jordan, Ankle
S Marte Mapu, Neck
QB Drake Maye, Concussion
WR Ja'Lynn Polk, Concussion
G Layden Robinson, Ankle
LB Sione Takitaki, Knee
LB Jahlani Tavai, Back
DE Keion White, Knee
Three players didn't participate at all on Wednesday: LB Christian Elliss (Abdomen), T Vederian Lowe (Ankle / Shoulder), and DT Jaquelin Roy (Neck).
We'll get you ready for this weekend's Patriots-Titans clash Sunday morning with Patriots GameDay at 11:30 a.m. (which you can also stream on CBSBoston.com), and switch to TV38 after the game for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!