New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye is set to return after a brief injury scare in the first quarter of the Patriots‘ Saturday clash with the Los Angeles Chargers.
On the Patriots’ first offensive drive of the game, Maye scrambled to his right side on a third-and-4 play. He took a hard hit to the helmet from Chargers cornerback Cam Hart near the sideline. The rookie came out of the game right after the hit and headed for the medical tent.
New England backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett started warming up on the sideline after Maye headed to the tent.
A few minutes later, NFL Network’s broadcast announced that Maye headed back to the Patriots’ locker room. Brissett entered for the Patriots’ second offensive possession.
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Maye took a helmet-to-helmet hit from a Chargers defender while scrambling close to the sideline on New England’s first possession of the game.
The rookie exited the field and received an evaluation in the medical tent before returning to the Patriots’ locker room. Brissett took over under center for the team’s second possession and went three-and-out.
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Maye is back on the Patriots’ sideline after a brief trip to the team’s locker room. New England head coach Jerod Mayo said Maye would return to the game for the team’s third possession – and first of the second quarter.
New England had declared Maye as questionable to return with a head injury after NFL Network’s broadcast showed the quarterback going back to the locker room.
The rookie initially went to the Patriots’ blue medical tent after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from a Chargers cornerback near the boundary on New England’s third offensive play.
This story has been updated with new information.