The New England Patriots have been in the news a lot lately, and not just for their impressive play that made them the first team to reach 10 wins this season. Unfortunately, the negativity surrounding their success has dominated headlines over the last few weeks, with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and former QB Cam Newton having the loudest opinions to be heard.
It has prompted a lot of response from analysts and fans around New England, with even Drake Maye being asked about the comments made by his childhood favorite quarterback. That launched Smith into a tirade that he walked back just days later for calling Maye a "liar," riling up Patriots fans on behalf of their beloved quarterback, and now we're hearing from even more people in the New England sphere.
The latest defender to voice his displeasure with the harshness of recent critiques is former Patriots wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl Champion Chris Hogan.
He took time during the latest episode of his podcast with Boston Globe writer Christopher Price to share his frustration with all the commotion being made about Maye and the current AFC East leaders, saying exactly what Patriots fans have been feeling over the past few weeks.
Chris Hogan didn't mince words when defending Drake Maye and the Patriots from recent criticism
It didn't take long for Hogan to prove just how loyal he is to the team he saw the most success with when discussing the latest drama surrounding the Patriots, and it's hard not to get riled up along with him as a fan.
He put things pretty plainly, letting it be known that the criticisms and hot takes said by Newton and Smith are things that "no one [expletive] cares" about, and he couldn't be more right.
.@ChrisHogan_15 has some thoughts on what Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton had to say about Drake Maye.@BleavNetwork | @FanDuel
— Christopher Price (@cpriceglobe) November 25, 2025
Full episode here: https://t.co/eHDRAQ1bns pic.twitter.com/GO8WBF0Uiu
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Where's the lie?
While some of what has been said might be appropriate and applicable, or might even make sense, Newton and Smith haven't provided much evidence to back up the idea that the Patriots are a "fool's gold" team, nor why Maye was a liar for not knowing much about their show.
It certainly seems more about getting sound bites and being controversial to get people to watch the show, as Hogan somewhat alluded to, and the young quarterback has become the latest victim of that trend.
It's an unfortunate situation to be in, but not one the Patriots are unfamiliar with. They have been part of a lot of nasty criticism over the past 25 years, even at the peak of their success, so this is nothing new and won't be going away any time soon, especially if Maye continues to lead the team to more wins.