Drake Maye’s football journey has come full circle in a way that feels almost scripted. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Maye grew up watching Cam Newton electrify the city as the face of the Carolina Panthers.
Back then, Newton was the MVP, the superstar, the guy who made Sundays in Charlotte feel like an event. And Maye?
He was just a kid in the stands, soaking it all in.
Fast forward to now, and that same kid is preparing to start in the Super Bowl-only his jersey is red, white, and blue, and his team is the New England Patriots. It’s his second season in the league, and he’s already leading a franchise with a legacy of greatness back to the biggest stage in football.
You’d think that would be a moment of pride for Newton, right? One Charlotte legend passing the torch to another. But that’s not how this story’s playing out.
Instead, Newton has been one of Maye’s most vocal critics throughout the season. And this week, he took it a step further, comparing Maye to quarterbacks like Rex Grossman and Trent Dilfer-guys who made it to the Super Bowl largely on the backs of dominant defenses, not because they lit up the scoreboard themselves.
“They’re not here because of Drake Maye,” Newton said bluntly. “That’s just facts.”
It’s a stinging comment, especially considering the context. Grossman and Dilfer weren’t known for carrying teams; they were more like passengers on elite defensive units. So to hear Maye lumped into that category-especially by someone he once looked up to-is a tough pill to swallow.
There’s an added layer of irony here, too. During the CBS broadcast earlier this week, it was mentioned that the only Super Bowl Maye had ever attended as a fan was the one Cam Newton played in-Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara.
That same stadium is now the site of Maye’s own Super Bowl debut. Talk about a full-circle moment.
So here we are. Maye, the former Myers Park High School standout, is on the doorstep of football immortality. And instead of basking in the glow of support from his hometown hero, he’s facing skepticism from the very guy who once inspired him.
But if there’s one thing Maye has done consistently this season, it’s answer the doubters. He’s shown poise, maturity, and the kind of command that doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet but wins games when it matters. And now, with the biggest game of his life just days away, he’s got one more critic to prove wrong-one who used to wear No. 1 in Carolina.
Maye doesn’t need to say a word. His play will do the talking.