Jan. 3, 2026, 1:17 p.m. ET
Former New England Patriots and NFL quarterback Cam Newton is still not sold on Drake Maye as a game-changer, despite the second-year quarterback’s ability to put together an MVP-caliber season.
Granted, he didn’t say Maye would never be a game-changer. He recently explained why he doesn’t believe the Patriots quarterback has reached that status yet.
“Drake Maye is well and capable, has all of the upside and skill set. But last year, under his player’s status, a head coach was fired,” Newton said on 4th&1 with Cam Newton. “…Does Jerod Mayo have a job right now? Offensive coordinator was Alex Van Pelt. Is he an offensive coordinator anywhere in this league? Thank you. Now insert Mike Vrabel. Now insert a dynamic play-caller in Josh McDaniels. The system is right, so I can’t just sit up here and say Drake Maye is a game-changer right now, because we’ve only had one season of dynamic play.”
This is not the first time that Newton has expressed doubts about Maye. Although his most recent comments about the quarterback were not necessarily disparaging, they still did not portray him as the MVP candidate that the quarterback has been throughout the season.
It’s a bold take on Newton’s end, given that Maye’s elevated performance on the field has helped completely transform the Patriots into a playoff contender. Here’s what people were saying on social media about Newton’s latest comments about Maye: