Patriots Week 4 Injury Report: Drake Maye's Shoulder Back in the Headlines

FOXBORO — Already boasting a 1-2 record, the New England Patriots certainly didn't get any good news when it came to their injury report at practice.

They were missing three starters during their first session of the week, as they prepare for a divisional battle with the undefeated Buffalo Bills. They also had several guys banged up who played in limited roles. The Patriots have already gone through plenty of injuries three weeks into the season, and now they'll need to avoid this obstacle.

"This is just a story that somebody told me that I liked," Mike Vrabel told reporters Wednesday. "It was that when in this particular case, God wanted David to be a king. He didn't hand him a crown, right? He gave him a fight. So, you’ve got to go through a fight. He gave him Goliath.

"That was just a little story that was said. If we want to get where we need to get to, we’re going to have to go through bumps along the way. This is all a part of the journey."

Here's all the Patriots dealing with injuries ahead of their Week 4 game against the Bills:

Patriots on Active Roster	Wednesday, Sept. 30 Status
OT Morgan Moses	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (foot)
DT Christian Barmore	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (shoulder)
CB Christian Gonzalez	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (shoulder)
FB Reggie Gilliam	LIMITED (knee)
TE Eli Raridon	LIMITED (thigh)
EDGE Dre'Mont Jones	LIMITED (shoulder)
LB Christian Elliss	LIMITED (chest)
S Craig Woodson	LIMITED (shoulder)
S Brenden Schooler - NFI list	LIMITED (back)
QB Drake Maye	FULL (right shoulder)

In comparison, here's how the Bills' initial injury report looks:

Bills on Active Roster	Wednesday, Sept. 30 Status
WR Keon Coleman	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (ankle)
DT T.J. Sanders	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (illness)
LB Joe Andreessen	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (knee)
CB Christian Benford	DID NOT PARTICIPATE (toe)
WR D.J. Moore	LIMITED (shoulder)
DT Deone Walker	LIMITED (quad)
S Damar Hamlin	LIMITED (ribs)
OG Ar'maj Reed-Adams	FULL (elbow)
EDGE Bradley Chubb	FULL (thumb)
LB Dorian Williams	FULL (hip)
LB Terrel Bernard	FULL (knee)

Uh Oh: Christian Gonzalez Misses First Practice

September 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) looks on before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzalez did get checked out on the sideline during last week's loss, but remained in the game after making a hard tackle on third down. After the game, the cornerback told reporters that he was good — despite being yanked late in the fourth quarter once the game got out of hand.

This week, going up against a potent Bills offense that has Josh Allen, James Cook, D.J. Moore and Dalton Kincaid, the Patriots will need their best players to be out on the field healthy. Without Gonzalez, that's a major hole in the Patriots' secondary that could become exploited by the potential MVP.

The 24-year-old was originally scheduled to speak to reporters ahead of Wednesday's practice, but was not made available. He was spotted in the locker room and chatted with Mike Vrabel, but wasn't present when reporters were watching drills.

Drake Maye Makes Injury Report Debut

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times‑Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After three shaky weeks throwing the ball, and questions directed at him about last season's shoulder injury, the Patriots quarterback has been listed on the injury report for the first time this year.

Maye was a full participant in practice, going through the standard quarterback drills during Wednesday's practice. But the fact that his name popped up on the list to begin with is something to monitor.

After the practice, Maye — who's thrown six interceptions so far — was asked about if his shoulder was impacting his play on the field. He didn't seem to express any concern.

"No, it hasn’t. It hasn’t. And it doesn’t impact my decision-making," Maye said. "That’s what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks. I don’t feel like we’re struggling to move the ball. I think we’re turning the football over, doing things that are preventing us from scoring touchdowns. And I think that’s one of the biggest things for me."

Offensive Guards Need To Step Up

NFL New England Patriots center Ben Brown. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In back-to-back weeks, the Patriots' starting right guard has gone down with an injury. First it was Mike Onwenu, who broke his right ankle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then Greg Van Roten, his replacement, was placed on IR Tuesday with a thigh injury.

It's going to be a big week for some of the team's backup guards, including Ben Brown and Walter Rouse. When Van Roten got hurt against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rouse — a converted tackle — came in to replace him. He didn't have the best showing, but remained the top option in practice.

"We'll kind of see where that goes for the week," Vrabel said, before implying thatAlijah Vera-Tucker wouldn't be moving from his spot at left guard.

The Patriots' second injury report of the week will be released tomorrow after practice.

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