As expected, Drake Maye is officially in the league's concussion protocol. The rookie quarterback took a shot to the back of the head near the tail end of the first quarter in yesterday's 25-22 win over the Jets. He remained on the turf a little longer than the norm, and one of the officials asked him if he was okay. He completed that series before the independent spotter took action, leading to the end of his afternoon.
"It was called down from the league, and they wanted to do further evaluation," said Jerod Mayo Monday morning. "When I went in there at halftime, he wanted to go back out there. But, obviously, he didn't pass the test, and not going to get too far into that, but at the same time, he went out there and threw a couple good balls after, I guess, they were supposed to put him in the protocol."
Concussions can happen to any player at any time. But former NFL quarterback and now analyst Boomer Esiason told WEEI's 'The Greg Hill Show' that there's a fine line to be walked by these young, athletic quarterbacks and that they expose themselves to more risk by running. Of course, that's part of what makes Maye dangerous as a player - his ability to get outside the pocket and create with his legs. We've seen him add an element to the Pats' offense that was essentially non-existent not only this year but also since Cam Newton was starting in 2020. It paid dividends against New York, including the game's first touchdown, a 17-yard scramble by Maye, but then proved costly on the 18-yard run where the hit to the head happened.
"This goes back to like, 'Darn if you do, darn if you don't,' you know, and well, we should put them in the first week, or we should put them in here," said Mayo. "At a certain time, we're always going to do what's best for the football team. And look, the quarterback is the most important position on the field. I mean, however, you feel about that, the quarterback is the most important position on the field. And he has to protect himself a little better."
Perhaps the simple teaching point here is the lateness of the slide. Maye had gotten enough for the first down and wasn't about to lower his shoulder, so had he given himself up earlier, it's possible that linebacker Jamien Sherwood wouldn't have committed to the tackle. Then again, maybe it still would have happened because it's a physical game, and players get hit on every play. They assume the risk every time they set foot on the field.
So now the next question is, when will we see Maye?
"I'm not sure," Mayo said.
He's right. Every concussion is different, and everyone responds to that trauma in their own way. If Maye can't go - and recent history says players returning the following week after a head injury is rare - Jacoby Brissett will be tasked with starting his sixth game of the season, and rookie Joe Milton would likely be elevated to the backup role.
For further education, here's the league's five-step concussion protocol in condensed form.
Phase One: Symptom Limited Activity
The player-patient is prescribed rest, limiting or, if necessary, avoiding activities (both physical and cognitive) which increase or aggravate symptoms.
Phase Two: Aerobic Exercise
Phase Two involves the initiation of a graduated exercise program. Under the direct oversight of the Club's medical staff, the player-patient should begin graduated cardiovascular exercise (e.g., stationary bicycle, treadmill) and may also engage in dynamic stretching and balance training. The duration and intensity of all activity may be gradually increased so long as the player-patient does not increase or aggravate signs or symptoms while performing the activity and for a reasonable period thereafter.
Phase Three: Football Specific Exercise
The player-patient continues with supervised cardiovascular exercises that are increased and begin to mimic sport-specific activities, as well as supervised strength training. The player-patient is allowed to practice with the team in sport-specific exercise for 30 minutes or less, with ongoing and careful symptom monitoring by the medical staff.
Phase Four: Club-Based Non-Contact Training Drills
The player-patient may continue cardiovascular conditioning, strength and balance training, and team-based sport-specific exercise and participate in non-contact football activities such as throwing, catching, running, and other position-specific activities, progressing to participation in non-contact team practice activities. To be clear, all activities at this Phase remain non-contact (i.e., no contact with other players or objects, such as tackling dummies or sleds).
If the player-patient is able to tolerate all football-specific activity without a recurrence of signs or symptoms of concussion and his neurocognitive testing has returned to baseline, he may be moved to the next Phase in the sequence.
Phase Five: Full Football Activity/Clearance
After the player-patient has established his ability to participate in non-contact football activity, including team meetings, conditioning, and non-contact practice, without recurrence of signs and symptoms and his neurocognitive testing is back to baseline, the Club physician may clear him for full football activity involving contact in practice. If the player-patient tolerates full participation practice and contact without signs or symptoms and the Club physician concludes that the player-patient's concussion has resolved, s/he may clear the player-patient to return to participation.
TALKING POINTS
In addition to answering questions about Maye, Mayo touched on a few other topics of note on Monday.
On critique from Bill Belichick: "I learned a lot from Coach. I learned a lot on the field, off the field, all those things. I've got to do what I believe in, and that's what it comes down to."
BSJ analysis: This is a sign of learning from your mistakes by Mayo/Pats. Stay away from Bill and anything related to Bill, unless it's to say something nice. The former head coach has a bully pulpit, and he's not afraid to use it after feeling as though the organization (RKK in particular) was taking shots.
On Josh Uche not dressing yesterday and if it was related to the trade deadline: "It was just a healthy scratch, and we put the best team out there that we think gives us the best chance to win."
BSJ analysis: Uche is available and has been discussed as a likely trade candidate. He's not the only one. Davon Godchaux and K.J. Osborn are also seen as potential trade chips as the Pats front office does due diligence on a 2-6 roster.
On reports of off-field issues in London: "Can I just go back to that? Like guys being out in London, simply not true. And so those stories continue to come out where it's just not true. Yeah, so I'm not sure where it's coming from, but I mean, everyone has their sources, again, working in the media. I understand how that works, but it's simply not true. So nobody missed curfew in London. I'm saying this, we didn't - we did not have people out in London. That's what I'm saying."
BSJ analysis: Mayo was careful when choosing his words. For instance, Javon Baker made a "mistake" in London. What that mistake is was not made clear to me — lateness, missed curfew, missed meetings, missed treatment — but something happened that was frowned upon and may have contributed to his not dressing and Osborn getting the late call that he would be dressing.