It turns out Drake Maye wasn’t just serving up the company line the past few days.
On Wednesday, the Patriots’ practice report listed their second-year quarterback as a full participant - the first time he’s held that distinction at a practice since January 23, the Friday before the AFC Championship Game at Mile High.
This comes after two separate media sessions during Super Week in the Bay Area in which Maye brushed off the idea of his shoulder holding him back from a good week of practice leading up to Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks (14-3).
During Monday’s Opening Night in San Jose, Maye hit on both his illness and shoulder injury.
“Yeah, feeling great,” Maye said when I asked him if he was feeling better after last week’s illness. “Yeah, feeling good. Was out there today, Got an extra day of work in from practicing today. And then from there, look forward to getting back out there the next couple days.”
“Threw as much as I would have in practice, and felt great. Looking forward to getting back out there for Wednesday and Thursday and practice again - and Friday - and get ready to go out there for a normal week of prep.”
During Wednesday’s media session in Santa Clara, that same refrain rang true for the MVP candidate.
“Feels good,” Maye said while seated at a podium in front of scores of cameras. “That's why you have guys in the training room. My guys, Zach [Gerber] and Mike [Baum] have been - multiple people in there working on keeping me healthy. And I'm feeling ready to go.”
“Do you expect to be limited in practice at all?” Maye was asked.
“I wasn't limited on Monday, so I don't see any way I'd be limited today,” he said. “Feeling good.”
That bore out, and the Patriots’ leading man is now in the midst of a somewhat normal week of work in advance of the biggest game of his life.
With these being Super Bowl practices, the regular observation periods by local media for the Patriots (14-3) are out the window for the week. Instead, we get a pool report from the Pro Football Writers of America, who get limited access to what they can watch from the Patriots at Stanford Stadium, and then send out an email with notes and injury updates.
Wednesday’s pool report ended with a full injury update for New England:
“Maye was listed on the team’s first injury report with the shoulder, but as a full participant. Linebacker Robert Spillane was the only Patriots player who did not participate as he continues to recover from an ankle injury he suffered in the AFC title game in Denver. Linebacker Harold Landry was listed as a limited participant with a knee injury. Other players listed on the injury report were backup offensive lineman Thayer Munford Jr. (limited, knee) and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (full participant, hamstring.) Farmer remains on the injured reserved list but has been designed to return.”
You can hear Kevin Harlan and Kurt Warner on the national radio call of Super Bowl LX on Westwood One. We’ll have that broadcast for you right here on 93.7 WEEI-FM in Boston, and across the WEEI Sports Radio Network in New England.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.