The incident took place on a third-down play when Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson brought Maye down from behind. During the tackle, Hutchinson landed on the quarterback's lower leg, leading to an immediate evaluation by medical staff. Maye was helped to his feet and limped to the sideline before heading to the locker room for further assessment. Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito took over the offensive duties for the remainder of the contest.
Injury Details and Officiating Review
Following the game, Patriots head coach
The tackle itself drew scrutiny regarding potential rule violations. While some observers questioned if the play constituted a hip-drop tackle, NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira clarified on the broadcast that the action did not meet the criteria for such a penalty, as it lacked the necessary swivel and unweighting motions. Furthermore, league officiating analyst Walt Anderson confirmed that the play did not qualify as a horse-collar tackle, as there was no grab of the collar or nameplate. No penalty was assessed by referee Clay Martin’s officiating crew on the play.
The defensive end involved in the play, Aidan Hutchinson, also sustained a right knee injury while celebrating the sack and is reportedly facing a significant recovery period. In addition to the quarterback's injury, the Patriots faced further personnel concerns when wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had recently returned from a knee issue, was ruled out in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury. Coach Vrabel indicated that the team would continue to monitor the status of both players upon their return.
