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

Drake Maye took a huge hit to the head, went to the locker room and 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 the Los Angeles Chargers, Maye took a big hit to the head. Maye went 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.

A few minutes later, Maye returned from the locker room and Patriots head 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,” 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.

Maye returned it for the Patriots’ first drive of the second quarter. 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.