Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye released after concussion test, returned to game vs. Chargers

Drake Maye took a huge hit to the head, went back to the locker room, missed a series, but the New England Patriots decided to put him back in the game after he was cleared.

On the Patriots’ first drive of Saturday’s game against Los Angeles, the Chargers Maye took a big hit to the head. 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.

But a few minutes later, Maye returned from the locker room and Patriots coach Jerod Mayo confirmed that Maye passed the concussion test and would return to the game.

“He’s been cleared, so I’m looking forward to getting him back on the field,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said in a sideline interview with NFL Network.

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.

But Maye was back for the Patriots’ first drive of the second half. On his first drive back, he ran it, and Chargers linebacker Junior Colson was penalized for hitting Maye in the head after he slid down.

There was concern because 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.

Maye has had a promising rookie season, and Saturday was a chance for a national audience to see his progress. His day had not ended early as it seemed for a while.