Drake Maye questions concussion diagnosis after Patriots return

NASHVILLE — After last week’s win over the New York Jets, Jerod Mayo said Drake Maye wanted to reenter the game after being evaluated for a head injury.

After he did return to the field on Sunday, Maye questioned whether he ever should have been ruled out to begin with.

The Patriots quarterback said he understood the independent concussion spotter’s decision to call for an evaluation after Maye took a helmet-to-helmet hit from a Jets linebacker while sliding. But he cast doubt on the results of his concussion test.

“It’s tough,” Maye said after the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans 20-17 in overtime. “You want to be out there, and you want to be out there last week. It was a spotter up top. They do it to protect us quarterbacks now, and you can’t blame them for what’s going on with some of the quarterback hits.

“Maybe the process — last game on the sideline, I’m in my pads and my cleats, and there’s metal on the ground inside the tent and I’m doing the balance test. So there’s some gray area there. I don’t know if anybody could have passed that. But really coming into this week, just trusting it, and took some tests and felt good.”

Maye was a limited participant in all three practices this week, and the Patriots announced Saturday that he had cleared concussion protocol. The rookie said he felt no ill effects from his head injury in Sunday’s game, during which he rushed eight times for 95 yards and absorbed nine QB hits, including four sacks.

“I should have probably broke that first (run),” said Maye, whose scramble-drill touchdown pass with no time remaining forced OT. “One-on-one with the safety. I’ve got to make somebody miss, man. That’s on me.”

Mayo said he didn’t have any issue with how Maye protected himself against Tennessee.

“I thought he did well,” the head coach said. “I’m sure we’ll watch the film and say things and second-guess whether to slide or not to slide, but he’s healthy, and I think that’s the most important thing.”