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What Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said about Drake Maye’s shoulder getting ‘dinged’ appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels offered the first real explanation for why Drake Maye landed on New England’s injury report this week, and the answer should quiet at least one strand of the speculation that has followed his quarterback for a month. The shoulder that cost Maye so much last winter is not the one causing problems now.
“I believe it just got dinged last week,” the 50-year-old said Thursday, pointing to the 35-6 loss in Jacksonville.
Josh McDaniels said Drake Maye’s shoulder “got dinged last week.” It hasn’t impacted his game plan for this weekend pic.twitter.com/WmDISg1K7i
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— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 1, 2026
That detail matters. Maye hurt the same right shoulder during the AFC Championship Game last season and needed a pain-killing injection before Super Bowl LX, a 29-13 loss to Seattle. Until McDaniels spoke, it was unclear whether the current designation traced back to that injury or something new.
McDaniels suspects it happened on one of Maye’s four carries against the Jaguars. “We haven’t had a big meeting and talked about specifically, like, exactly when this or that or the other happened, but yeah, he ran the ball a few times last week,” he said. “And I think that’s what happened.”
He was emphatic that nothing has changed operationally. Asked whether the injury had affected practice or play-calling, McDaniels did not hesitate. “It has not,” he said.
“He’s always been a guy that can run and do things with his legs and all that, and he’s taken a few hits since he’s been in the National Football League,” McDaniels continued. “That’s kind of part of the process when you can make things happen with your legs. You’re gonna incur some hits. They would obviously tell me if there was something that we felt like we couldn’t do or he couldn’t do, and that has not been the case. I know he’s a tough kid. Doesn’t make a big deal out of much, and so business as usual for us.”
Maye said much the same Wednesday, insisting the shoulder has not affected his throwing or his decision-making. He has been a full participant in practice both days.
The injury talk exists because of how the season has started. Maye has thrown one touchdown against six interceptions through three games, with seven total turnovers, and New England sits at 1-2 heading to Buffalo on Sunday.
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