When Tom Brady went down in Week 1 of 2008, the New England Patriots handed the offense to Matt Cassel, who hadn’t started a game since high school. He went 11-5, and it still wasn’t enough to make the playoffs. That season showed how much a team can survive without its quarterback, and how much it can’t. The Patriots stand in a similar situation where Drake Maye now faces an unforeseen circumstance.
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“Drake Maye has been ruled out for the remainder of the game,” ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter wrote on X.
Maye was ruled out for the remainder of the Week 10 game against Detroit. His status for upcoming games will be determined after further evaluation.
As the game began, Drake Maye led the New England Patriots down the field into the red zone, completing 3 of 4 passes for 48 yards and adding an 11-yard scramble. The Patriots faced a third-and-goal situation with around 9:43 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
On the play, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson beat New England’s protection and grabbed Maye from behind. Hutchinson wrapped his right arm around Maye’s shoulder pad and pulled him down in what resembled a hip-drop tackle, rolling onto the back of Maye’s lower legs (ankle).
Although no penalty flag was thrown, Maye remained down momentarily before being helped to his feet. Doubled over in pain, he gingerly limped off the field under his own power while kicker Andy Borregales came on to convert a 33-yard field goal for a 3–0 Patriots lead.
As for Drake Maye, he went to the Patriots’ sideline bench and was briefly examined in the blue medical tent.
After Detroit answered with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, training staff escorted Maye to the locker room for further evaluation as the New England Patriots’ second offensive possession began.
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Tommy DeVito took over under center for the Patriots’ second drive. Although New England initially announced Maye as questionable to return, later reports downgraded him to out for the remainder of the game late in the second quarter.
However, on the same play, Aidan Hutchinson leaped into the air to celebrate the sack, landed awkwardly, and suffered a right knee injury of his own. Due to this, the Lions DE also faced a similar end.
“The Lions rule out Aidan Hutchinson from returning to this game,” Front Office Sports’ Mark Maske wrote on X.
While the severity of the injury or the potential recovery timeline is yet to be revealed for both, Maye’s ankle injury threatens to derail the New England Patriots’ 2026 playoff push.
The 2025 season Super Bowl runner-up entered Week 10 sitting second in the AFC East behind the 7–1 Buffalo Bills and tied with the Cleveland Browns for the seventh and final AFC playoff berth. Falling behind the Detroit Lions drops the Patriots to 5–5, leaving very little cushion in a crowded conference wild-card race.
While New England’s Week 11 bye will give QB Drake Maye an extra week to recover without missing a game, the stretch run starting in Week 12 is unforgiving. The Patriots will face a tough gauntlet that includes road games against the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets, plus home matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos.