Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye suffers another apparent concussion and leaves the game vs. Chargers

Drake Maye has had a strong, promising rookie season for the New England Patriots. But now there is some concern about concussions.

On the Patriots’ first drive of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Maye suffered what appeared to be his second concussion in a little more than two months after taking a big hit. Maye went back to the locker room as the Chargers made a long drive for a touchdown. Jacoby Brissett took over at quarterback. The Patriots reported Maye as questionable with a head injury.

On a third down, Maye ran near the sideline. He stepped out, but just as he did, he took a huge hit from Chargers cornerback Cam Hart, with Hart’s helmet hitting Maye in the helmet as he executed a spin move. No penalty was called because Maye was a runner on the play and tried to stay in bounds.

Maye stayed down for a few seconds, holding her face mask. He slowly got up and walked to the sideline, and after sitting on the bench for a few seconds, he was called to the blue medical tent to be checked for a concussion. Not long after, he went to the dressing room.

Maye missed the second half of a Week 8 game against the New York Jets with a concussion, though he returned to start the next week.

It appears Maye will be held out of next week’s regular-season finale, with the Patriots eliminated from the playoff race weeks ago. Maye started his 11th game on Saturday and has 14 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He has mostly looked pretty good playing with a bad supporting cast.

If Mayes’ rookie season is over, the Patriots should feel good that they have their answer at quarterback. However, they cannot be comfortable with multiple head injuries.