The New England Patriots are riding high after pulling off a completely unexpected upset win over the New York Jets on Sunday. However, the team has a major injury to worry about as well on Victory Monday, with quarterback Drake Maye tending to a potential concussion after a dirty hit in Week 8.

While Pats fans eagerly await word on Maye’s return to the field, head coach Jerod Mayo revealed some surprise information about the No. 3 pick Monday morning.

Mayo said it was actually NFL personnel who made the call to evaluate Maye for a possible concussion. The Patriots HC himself thought Maye seemed in playing shape after throwing “a couple good balls after,” so his removal was a surprise to him. And Mayo noted even Maye wanted to get back on the field, so it doesn’t seem like he was too affected by the hit to his head.

This is a rare instance of the NFL’s added involvement actually doing some good on a gameday. Of course, no one wanted to see Maye taken out of Sunday’s contest — and his removal made it only tougher for New England to win — but every precaution possible should be taken with the future of the franchise.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye's concussion:

"It was called down from the league. They wanted to do further evaluation. When I went in there at halftime, he wanted to go back out there, but obviously he didn't pass the test. And not going to get too far into that. But, at…

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 28, 2024

Thankfully, backup Jacoby Brissett was more than ready to step up against the Jets as well. He played solid football, limiting mistakes with zero interceptions and just one sack taken, while leading the Pats’ second-half efforts to come out with the win.

Mayo and co. don’t seem to concerned about Maye, which is a positive sign in regards to his availability for Week 9. But every player’s recovery and progression through concussion protocol is different, so his status will become more clear once practices begin.