Drake Maye is not letting his shoulder take the blame. Speaking to reporters Wednesday after appearing on New England's injury report for the first time this season, the Patriots quarterback shut down the idea that his right shoulder has anything to do with a rough opening month.

“No, it hasn't. It hasn't. And it doesn't impact my decision-making,” Maye told reporters. “That's what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks. I don't feel like we're struggling to move the ball. And I think that's one of the biggest things for me.”

The numbers explain why the question keeps coming. Maye has completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 585 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions through three starts, adding a lost fumble for a league-worst seven total turnovers. New England sits at 1-2 following a 35-6 blowout in Jacksonville in which he went 14-of-25 for 199 yards with two picks.

The contrast with last season is stark. Maye threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025 while completing 72 percent of his passes and committing just 11 turnovers across 17 starts, earning Second Team All-Pro honors and finishing second in MVP voting.

The shoulder question traces back to the AFC Championship Game against Denver, where he first hurt it. He acknowledged afterward that he took a pain-killing injection before the Super Bowl, a 29-13 loss to Seattle in which he never looked right. Offseason rest was expected to resolve it.

His answers have not fully closed the door. After Sunday's loss, Maye said he “wouldn't say there's a problem” with the shoulder rather than denying one outright, and he was similarly evasive during a WEEI appearance this week. That framing has reportedly left people inside the organization befuddled, with the team maintaining there is nothing wrong.

Maye was a full participant in Wednesday's practice despite the right shoulder designation. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and offensive tackle Morgan Moses all sat out.

New England travels to Buffalo on Sunday, where Josh Allen and the Bills await a team searching for its first road answer.