Pats' Maye rules out surgery, 'just need time off'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who said he took a pain-killing injection for his right throwing shoulder before Super Bowl LX, will not require offseason surgery.

"Time is the best healer," Maye said Tuesday after the team's final meeting at Gillette Stadium before breaking for the offseason. "I definitely just need time off. Nothing that needs anything to be done."

Maye acknowledged the significance of taking a hit at the end of a 13-yard run in the third quarter of the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 25. As Maye slid somewhat awkwardly, Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga landed on top of him and his right shoulder took the brunt of the force as he landed on the ground.

"My arm was feeling great all year. I don't think throwing was the [issue]. It's a case of having one hit in the AFC Championship Game that was unfortunate timing," Maye said, adding that having two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl helped him get to a point where he felt he could play in the game as the team listed him on the injury report each day.

"You can't blame things on injuries. Things happen like this all the time in the league. I was blessed this year -- what a year of health. You can't zone in on one little thing on the shoulder -- it was just unfortunate that it happened to be the throwing one. At the same time, I could have prevented it or made more plays. I was feeling like I was able to make throws in the game and was myself."

Maye and the Patriots' offense, which ranked third in the NFL in the regular season in total yards, was held scoreless by the Seahawks' No. 1-ranked scoring defense through the first three quarters of Super Bowl LX.

Maye was under heavy pressure through the first half, when he was 6-of-11 for 48 yards. He then uncharacteristically missed some reads and throws in the third quarter when pass protection initially improved.

He had 31 dropbacks in the fourth quarter as the Patriots fell behind 19-0, which ultimately led him to finish 27-of-43 for 295 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked six times.

"It stings. It's going to sting for a while," Maye said. "It's what makes this sport special. We were close, and you got to try to find that extra edge. I didn't play as well as I would have liked down the stretch, but I'm going to promise to do my best to work hard and get us back to those moments in those games."