Drake

Maye

Whether the Patriots engage with trade talks remains to be seen. MassLive.com reported sources close to Milton said he “would prefer to be on a roster that best gives him a chance to compete for the starting job.” These aren’t the first reports we’ve seen about Milton, 25, leaving New England after one season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowlers reported in March that the Cowboys are interested in acquiring Milton — the 193rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — as a backup to Dak Prescott. Apparently Milton turned some heads around the NFL with his Week 18 start against the Bills last January. He completed 22 of 29 attempts for 241 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 16 yards and another score. Milton had the eighth highest drop back EPA of Week 18 out of 33 qualifying QBs; he posted the week’s third best completion rate over expected. The big-armed Milton threw for more than 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final collegiate season at Tennessee before being drafted by New England.

With no incentive to win the game, the Patriots pulled Maye from the game after one offensive drive, which included two handoffs. Maye will end his rookie season with 2,276 yards passing on a 66.3 percent completion rate with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games played (not including this one drive). He also added 421 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground. While those are not eye-popping numbers, it was an impressive season for a quarterback playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL and with a tight end as his only consistent receiving threat. Maye showcased the tools to be a fantasy-relevant quarterback for a long time, but he has two major question marks that will hover over him this offseason. The first is the lack of quality targets he has to throw to, which the Patriots will surely try hard to upgrade in the offseason. The second concern is injuries as Maye took 34 sacks this season, suffered at least two concussions, and had to be evaluated for head injuries in other contests. Those injuries could sap Maye’s rushing upside if the Patriots get more conservative with him or they could crush his value altogether if concussions pile up and keep him off the field. For next season, Maye will be on the QB1 radar depending on who New England adds to their offense.

Gonzalez and Henry are both dealing with injuries and will miss the season’s final game. The Bills will be resting many of their top offensive playmakers, so the loss of Gonzalez shouldn’t be a huge issue on Sunday. One name not listed here is Joe Milton, who is active on Sunday and could see additional reps if the team wants to limit Drake Maye’s potential injury risk. A loss for the Patriots would secure them the top pick in the NFL draft, so there’s some thought that seeing what Milton looks like for the majority of this game could be of interest to them this weekend.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt told reporters yesterday that Maye will play, so it’s unclear if the injury worsened, AVP was wrong, or the team is simply following the letter of the law with their injury report. Either way, there’s a chance we’re treated to a Jacoby Brissett vs. Mitch Truisky on Sunday. How fun.

A loss would secure the No. 1 overall pick for the Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Van Pelt added at Thursday’s presser that they are “playing the game to win the game.” The Patriots could very well escape with a win at home, as the Bills are expected to sit most of their starters with the division already won and their playoff spot secured. Maye is dealing with a hand injury and was listed as limited in Wednesday’s practice, but this appears to be a minor issue.

Though the team is listing it as a general hand injury, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports, “Maye, who suffered a finger injury during Sunday’s game, was listed as limited for practice with a right-hand injury.” The injury’s specifics are unknown beyond that but Maye appears to be on track to play this week.

Head coach Jerod Mayo also said on Wednesday that he expects Maye to start “if he’s healthy and ready to go. The Patriots are sitting on the No. 1 overall pick and will likely face a number of backups in their final game of the season, with the Bills already securing their spot in the playoffs. Given their current draft slot, the Patriots have no reason to want to win in Week 18, which was thought to maybe tilt the scales in Jacoby Brissett’s favor as the Week 18 starter. That said, it sounds like the team is willing to go with the rookie in the season finale and let the chips fall where they may.

Currently sitting on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Patriots have everything to lose by pulling off a win in Week 18 against the Bills — who don’t have much to play for next week, with the Chiefs already sitting on the top seed in the AFC. In addition to losing the draft pick, the Patriots also do not need to risk the health of Maye, who has taken some brutal hits over the season and appeared at one time to be concussed in last week’s loss to the Chargers before being cleared to return by team doctors. It would not be at all surprising if the Patriots opted to sit a handful of key players in hopes of preserving their top pick and the health of their team heading into next season.

It was not a great day for the Patriots, who could not get anything going outside of a Drake Maye touchdown pass. He exited the game for a drive while he was evaluated for a concussion in the first quarter, then sat at the end of the game with the score out of reach. Jacoby Brissett completed one-of-two passes for a loss of two yards when he was on the field. Maye took advantage of a free play due to a defensive offsides to toss a 36-yard score to DeMario Douglas in the second quarter. Maye set a Patriots rookie record with his eighth straight game with at least one touchdown pass. He was charged with a fumble on what looked like a miscommunication on a pitch to either Douglas or Rhamondre Stevenson. The rest of the Patriots did not do Maye any favors as he was sacked four times in a 33-point loss. Maye is a back-end QB2 for those still playing fantasy matchups in Week 18.

Maye headed to the medical tent and locker room after taking a hit to the head on a first drive run. Jacoby Brissett completed a three and out on his sole drive of the game and Maye re-entered in the second quarter for the Patriots’ third drive.