Drake Maye confirms that shoulder is 'just fine' ahead of maiden Super Bowl appearance

[p]Speaking to the media, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maye-drake/A5SpHBoA/"]Maye[/a] also confirmed that his throwing arm is also fine.[/p][p]"[b]I threw a good bit (today)[/b]," Maye said when asked about his arm. "[b]I threw as much as I would in a practice, and it felt great.[/b]"[/p][p]While the second-year quarterback missed out on practice on Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel said he was out due to illness.[/p][p]"[b]We'll work through these things through the week, just like everybody else does[/b]," said Vrabel. "[b]But we're confident that the preparation that's required for each position on our football team will be there by the end of the week, and everybody ⁠will be available[/b]."[/p][p]Sunday night will be a special occasion for Maye, as he was at Levi's Stadium the last time they hosted a Super Bowl 10 years ago. Watching with his dad, the 23-year-old's favourite team, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-panthers/IoAX6qmR/"]Carolina Panthers[/a], fell to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-broncos/l22ZmPbl/"]Denver BRoncos[/a].[/p][p]"[b]It's a full-circle moment, that's the biggest thing,[/b]" he continued. "[b]So thankful my dad was able to take me to a Super Bowl, I don't take it for granted. I was watching my favorite team at the time and got a chance to watch Peyton Manning's last game (for ‌the Broncos)."[/b][/p][embed guid="64326825-545d-4d08-bf13-0ce8ae8b8c48" url="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2018507325250899988?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]No quarterback had a better completion percentage than Maye's 72% during the season. He also threw 31 passings touchdowns - good for third - and had the fourth most passing yards with 4,394.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-england-patriots/G6oNfmi8/"]New England[/a] also finished with the joint-best record alongside Super Bowl opponents [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-seahawks/f5h1oOee/"]Seattle Seahawks[/a] and the Broncos at 14-3.[/p][p]"[b]There's so many things that he does at an accelerated rate based on his age,[/b]" said the Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. "[b]He's 23 years old, but he's wise beyond his years. He knows how to prepare well, he's smart, he's a great leader and he's very authentic with his teammates[/b].[/p][p]"[b]And certainly all the physical attributes that we've seen all year long: He loves the game, he wants to be good at every aspect of it and that's a great trait to have as a young player. Playing quarterback in the NFL, there's really no shortcuts in being good at that position[/b]."[/p][p]Maye said that while he understands the significance of Sunday's game, he is tuning out distractions and outside onise.[/p][p]"[b]Anything else outside is nothing I need to worry about,[/b]" said the former UNC Tar Heel. "[b]That's the biggest thing for me. Just go out there and give our guys ​a chance to make plays, get them the football. I've done that and they've made me ⁠look good.[/b]"[/p]