Because of their sustained success over most of the last 25 years, the Patriots have faced more than their fair share of harsh takes and criticism, and this season was no different for Drake Maye and the rest of the young roster.
Among the most vocal in the media was former quarterback Cam Newton, who infamously called New England "fool's gold" and not a legitimate team in the Super Bowl. Making matters worse were his pointed takes about Maye, who spoke highly of Newton as his childhood hero, and that didn't stop until Super Bowl LX.
It became apparent that he was targeting the young quarterback for clicks and going viral, but also seemed to believe what he was saying, so seeing how he fared against the Seahawks probably gave him some kind of enjoyment.
Despite that, Newton spoke highly of Maye when given the chance on Monday's episode of First Take, and it's not something Patriots fans are willing to hear after all the diminishing of the 23-year-old's talent was heard from him all season long.
Cam Newton attempts to walk back months of harsh criticism about Drake Maye after Super Bowl heartbreak
After months of ragging on his talent by citing the schedule, Newton's words of encouragement feel too little, too late to make up for the damage he caused from his takes over the past six months.
While what he said is certainly true and nice to hear, it's the person saying it all that makes it problematic.
"I would allow myself, if I'm you, to feel every emotion of this game. Are you disappointed? You should be. But understand this, this game wasn't just on what you did. ... This season wasn't a failure. You made leaps, strides and bounds to becoming an MVP candidate. ... It's only… pic.twitter.com/YkRKLfiNPQ
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 9, 2026
He's spot on with the words of encouragement that should be sent Maye's way, especially seeing how the conversation about his performance has already gone since Sunday's loss.
However, the messenger is what will make it easy for fans to ignore, given his relentless takedown of Maye all season long, making the entire situation that much more disappointing.
There's no reason that Maye should be disrespected in the way that so many analysts have gone about discussing him this season, because not only was he a runner-up in the MVP race and ultimately lost to a 17-year veteran, but he couldn't be a more humble and kind person, making any out-of-the-ordinary criticism completely out of line.
That was the kind of conversation Newton actively participated in, if not kept going, so his praise and mentorship in this moment feels like a last-ditch effort to save face, and Patriots fans are far from interested in hearing it.