When it rains, it pours, and that's exactly what's happening in New England, as the Patriots have shown immense struggles through the first three weeks of the 2026 season. What was projected to be a solid year, with a few minor setbacks due to a tougher schedule, has turned into a disaster with no clear solution.
A major problem has been Drake Maye's performance: he's thrown six interceptions and lost a fumble in three games. It's a setback few expected, since most predicted a Year 3 jump after he took the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
Instead, he's been the crux of the team, prompting many to suggest benching him, which the Patriots don't appear to be entertaining just yet.
Making matters worse, new rumors are running rampant through Foxboro as people try to explain the team's downfall. It's gotten to the point of whispers claiming there's a rift between Maye and his head coach.
Then there's the chatter that the quarterback is still dealing with the shoulder injury he sustained against the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, which would seemingly explain his poor Super Bowl performance and frustrating start to this season.
The problem is that Maye has repeatedly claimed it's not an issue, even saying so during his media availability on Wednesday, only for the Patriots to have him on the injury report a few hours later.
Drake Maye's shoulder is not going to stop being a topic for the Patriots
After Maye explained he hasn't had any shoulder setbacks, and even Mike Vrabel said he wasn't aware it was bothering the quarterback, the Patriots listed him on Wednesday's injury report with a shoulder injury.
It was the first time this season he was on the report, and although he fully participated in practice, it caught many people's attention, especially since it was just a few hours after the team declined Maye's shoulder was an issue.
Patriots Wednesday injury report for NE vs. BUF: https://t.co/3ECC6ak6ql pic.twitter.com/idSUm1L2ds
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 30, 2026
Based on what we can see on tape, it doesn't look like Maye has any throwing-arm issues that would explain his struggles on game day. If anything, it looks like the last possible explanation, since he's still making some impressive, big-time throws downfield, which wouldn't be happening if he were in pain.
Instead, it seems fair to chalk it up to a confidence issue, a lack of protection from his offensive line (he was pressured on 56% of his dropbacks in last week's game), and his wide receivers failing to gain separation to create a play.
At the same time, he wouldn't be listed on the injury report if the rumors about his shoulder weren't credible. So that has to mean something, right?
Given the Patriots' current state, there are plenty of issues to point to, so Maye deaing with a shoulder injury is the last thing they need. It raises a whole new set of questions, and it's easy to wonder whether he should've addressed it during the offseason.
Surely, it will prompt reporters to hound him about his shoulder moving forward, and until he plays better, it will remain a topic of discussion.
He has a good chance to end the conversation with a stellar performance against the Bills on Sunday, something he did last year when the Patriots visited Buffalo in Week 5. And for more reasons than one, it would be an ideal way to kick off the second month of the season.
We'll have to see if he can handle the pressure, while also proving that his shoulder isn't an issue on Sunday afternoon.
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