The Patriots have been easy for the rest of the league and their fans to pick on since they fell from their pedestal atop the NFL for two decades, as many had been praying for their downfall for a long time. So once that happened, they couldn't be happier. But now that they're accomplishing success again, the endless negativity from talking heads has reached a new high this season, especially around Drake Maye.
Despite being a mostly soft-spoken and humble southern guy, the Patriots' second-year quarterback has garnered a lot of attention this year,d not because they want to credit him for leading his team to a 13-3 record, but to tear him down and belittle what he's accomplished.
Unfortunately, one of the loudest voices leading the charge is Cam Newton, who has spoken about Maye a lot this year and went so far as labeling him and the Patriots a team of "fool's gold," suggesting their schedule is the reason they've won so much.
He's even gone as far as attacking the kind of player that Maye is, which hasn't had much merit considering what he does on the field each and every week. And now, Newton has taken his stance to a new low by calling Maye a "game-manager" and not a "game-changer," on the heels of the 2025 season MVP being crowned.
Cam Newton just can't help but to downplay what Drake Maye has done in 2025
During a segment on the most recent episode of his podcast "4th and 1", Newton somewhat praised Maye for his potential, but also seemed to imply he was partly to blame for Robert Kraft's firing of Jerod Mayo after last year's season, while also using his now infamous insult to label him a "game-manager" and not a "game-changer."
This is just his latest take on Maye, who stated earlier this season that Newton was his favorite player growing up.
“You may not like who’s saying it… but it’s the truth.”
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) January 2, 2026
Cam Newton explains why MVP favorite Drake Maye isn’t a game-changer... yet 🧐 pic.twitter.com/8pvMPhMJdd
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If his criticism of the Patriots and Maye were more understandable, there wouldn't be such a visceral reaction to what he has to say. But because Newton appears to have taken on the role of downplaying what New England and the quarterback are doing, it's harder to listen to him as he adds to his previous comments.
At this point, it just sounds like he's hating, and it's unclear why he's taken that stance. Fortunately, it hasn't impacted what they're doing or Maye's mindset, as they hope to defeat the Dolphins on Sunday before heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Even better yet, Maye is the current frontrunner for MVP, and that should end any and all debate surrounding just how good he's been in 2025.