Why the Patriots are delighted the Super Bowl isn’t this weekend
The Pats and Seahawks, who were required to submit injury reports as if Super Bowl LX were this Sunday, have both had QB issues.
The New England Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on February 8, and Pats head coach Mike Vrabel will be especially delighted the two week break after the conference finals means this season’s championship game is not being played this weekend.
That is because of concerns over star quarterback Drake Maye, who is dealing with two separate fitness issues.
Drake Maye battling shoulder issue and illness
Since New England’s AFC Championship victory over the Denver Broncos, Maye has been managing a shoulder issue. To make matters worse, the 23-year-old has also been struck by illness, missing practice on Friday altogether after being limited on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Although the Super Bowl is not until next week, the NFL requires both the Patriots and the Seahawks to submit projected injury reports as if the game were being played this weekend.
Had that been the case, Maye would have been listed as questionable for the biggest game of his young career so far. That is also his official early status for next Sunday, although the extra recovery time offers plenty of hope that he will be ready to play.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold also managing injury
The Seahawks have not exactly had a stress free run with their own quarterback situation.
Sam Darnold has been dealing with an oblique injury since before the divisional round victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The 28-year-old powered through that game and the NFC Championship win against the Los Angeles Rams, although he was also limited in practice this week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Unlike Maye, however, Darnold’s name does not appear on Seattle’s latest NFL injury report. That means he would have suited up as usual if the Super Bowl were being played this weekend.
Patriots face anxious wait before Super Bowl LX
Vrabel and the Patriots face a nervous wait to see what kind of shape Maye is in by kickoff in Santa Clara. The Seahawks appear to be playing it safe with their quarterback’s workload, but there are currently no concerns about Darnold’s availability for the title game.
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