The Drake Maye era just began in New England and there was already an injury scare with the No. 3 overall pick. The Patriots rookie was on the injury report with a knee issue ahead of their Week 7 matchup in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Patriots haven't appeared worried about the injury, with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt saying he's "not concerned" and that Maye "looked good." Maye is also downplaying the situation, using similar verbiage to describe the situation.
"I'm feeling good," Maye said, via NBCSportsBoston.com. "These last two days, I feel good out there at practice. I'm feeling good now. Ready to go Sunday."
Maye didn't give much away when he was asked when exactly the injury took place and instead put the focus on the upcoming game, the second start of his career.
"I think injuries are something that you don't really try to share with the media. So just looking forward to Sunday," he said.
The team hasn't confirmed if Maye got an MRI, despite reports. Coach Jerod Mayo said he wasn't sure when the injury occurred, and if he does know, he's not sharing it with the media. Mayo, like Maye and Van Pelt, said things were looking good.
"I'm not sure if it was a residual from the [Houston Texans] game or not," Mayo told reporters Friday. "What I will say is he looks good, he's been out there at practice taking the majority of the reps."
The Patriots' porous offensive line was an issue when the season began and continues to be a major weakness on the team. At the start of the season, one concern for starting Maye was the high risk of injury. Now that he is dealing with a knee issue, there is the adding risk of aggravating the area and making it worse.
In his debut he was pressured on almost half of his dropbacks (47.6%), going 8 of 15 attempts for 81 yards and an interception. When he had no pressure, he went 12 of 18 for 162 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
The Patriots dropped to 1-5 this season after their 41-21 Week 6 loss to the Texans. The Texans were a difficult opponent, but with a much easier 1-5 opponent up next, the Patriots have a better chance to get their first win with Maye. It's also a chance for the rookie, who had some rough moments in last week's debut and did eventually find his footing, to gain more confidence against a less threatening defense.