Hall of Famer questions Patriots for playing Drake Maye after concussion

Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Jimmy Johnson disagreed with the New England Patriots' decision to start Drake Maye on Sunday, a day after the rookie quarterback cleared the NFL concussion protocol.

Johnson made this clear during FOX Sports' pregame coverage before the Patriots took on the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

“I understand that they want to prepare Maye for the future. “But why are they playing him?” said Johnson. “They’re not making the playoffs! If he has another concussion, they may not have a future.”

Maye suffered a concussion in New England's win over the New York Jets last Sunday. Maye was limited in practice during the week and progressed through protocol before being cleared on Saturday.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters earlier this week that if he approved the league's protocol, Maye would be happy with the third overall pick in Tennessee.

Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who started the first five games of the season, replaced Maye against New York and led the Patriots to two fourth-quarter scores en route to the win.