Cam Newton continues to discredit Drake Maye’s role in Patriots’ Super Bowl run

New England Patriots

They’re not here because of Drake Maye,” Newton said. “That’s just facts.

Drake Maye grew up in North Carolina as a fan of Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

But the former Panthers and Patriots QB hasn’t exactly returned the love this season, serving as one of Maye’s largest detractors amid the young quarterback’s MVP-caliber season in New England. 

Newton continued his critique of Maye on the latest episode of his “4th & 1” podcast — arguing that Maye hasn’t held a lot of sway over New England’s run to Super Bowl LX. 

“ It’s giving Trent Dilfer, it’s giving Jim McMahon, Brad Johnson, Rex Grossman. All of those names combined benefited off a great defense alone. They’re not here because of Drake Maye,” Newton said. “That’s just facts.

“Does that make Drake Maye a bad player? No. Did Drake Maye do enough to win a football game? Yes. But I would also say Drake Maye did enough to lose a game that he won, too.”

In McMahon, Johnson, Grossman, and Dilfer, Newton also listed quarterbacks who punched their ticket to the Super Bowl behind some elite defenses. 

New England’s defense has been dominant so far this postseason, allowing just 26 total points through three wins against the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos.

Maye and the Patriots’ offense hasn’t been as dynamic since the regular season ended — averaging just 18.0 points per game over that same three-game stretch. 

In three playoff games, Maye has completed 55.8 percent of his passes while throwing for four touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been knocked for six fumbles (three lost), but has also run for 141 yards and one touchdown. 

It’s been a far cry from the production generated by Maye and the Patriots during regular-season action. New England ranked second in the NFL in points per game (28.8), while Maye completed 72.0 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 

Granted, Maye and the Patriots have also overcome three postseason matchups against teams that all ranked in the top-five in total defense this season — with Maye standing as the first QB in league history to win three playoff games against a trio of top-five defenses in one playoff run (No. 5 Chargers, No. 1 Texans, No. 2 Broncos). 

This is not the first time that Newton has discounted Maye’s contributions — deeming him as a “game manager” earlier this month. However, the former NFL MVP did add this week that Maye’s contributions during this postseason run doesn’t mean that he won’t have a bright future. 

“But this is what you have to understand about ol’ Drake Maye,” Newton said on Tuesday. “If he keeps this up with this trajectory, winning this early in his career, whether I like it, whether I love it, whether I hate it, hate it some more, hate it even more than that, despise it or just don’t wanna give credit when credit’s due, Drake Maye will go down as an all-time great. Even superseding the individual that played there that got a statue.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.