New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye took all first-team repetitions in a 90-minute practice Wednesday as the team continues preparations for Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks. Maye had predicted full participation earlier in the day when discussing his right throwing shoulder, which had limited his involvement in practice last week.
\"I\'m feeling great. I\'m so fortunate to be out here with these guys,\" Maye said, adding that he was looking forward to a full and \"normal\" week of practice.
Maye previously said he felt his shoulder turned a corner on the Patriots\' flight to the Bay Area on Sunday. The injury responded favorably to a normal workload in practice Monday.
Teams were required to submit their first official injury report Wednesday. Maye was listed as a full participant on that report.
Starting linebacker Robert Spillane, who recently expressed confidence he would be in uniform for the Super Bowl, was the only player not to practice due to an ankle injury sustained in the AFC Championship Game. He represents New England\'s lone injury concern heading into Sunday\'s championship game.
The Patriots practiced in full shoulder pads Wednesday. While the team\'s game plan had been installed before arriving in the Bay Area, coaches saved some new offensive wrinkles to introduce to players this week.
Head coach Mike Vrabel told pool reporter Lindsay Jones of The Ringer that it was the suggestion of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. McDaniels previously coached in eight Super Bowls as a full-time Patriots assistant and an additional Super Bowl following the 2011 regular season.
\"No one has more experience than Josh with this, and he felt like that we needed to do something to keep them engaged and stimulated, so they weren\'t looking at some things for the second or third time,\" Vrabel said.
McDaniels joined New England\'s staff as a general assistant after serving as Rams offensive coordinator during the 2011 season. When Los Angeles fired their coaching staff at the end of that regular season, McDaniels returned to the Patriots for their playoff run that ended in a loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
Vrabel called Wednesday and Thursday \"critical\" work days for the team before family members and friends arrive in the Bay Area. The head coach emphasized the importance of maintaining execution alongside energy and enthusiasm.
\"We\'ve got some things to clean up, and then we\'ve got to forge ahead,\" Vrabel said. \"We want to continue to keep the energy and the enthusiasm, but the execution is going to end up really helping us win the game.\"
Owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft attended practice Wednesday with former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. The presence of team leadership underscored the significance of this week\'s preparation.
New England faces Seattle on Sunday in Super Bowl LX. Both teams have managed injury concerns throughout the week while maintaining their normal preparation routines.
Via Mike Reiss/ESPN