Cam Newton is changing his tune - and it’s not just a minor adjustment. Just a month after calling the Drake Maye-led Patriots “fool’s gold,” the former MVP is now giving the rookie and his team some well-earned credit following a gutsy 28-24 comeback win over the Ravens.
Newton, speaking on ESPN’s First Take, acknowledged what many fans saw on Sunday: a Patriots squad that showed real resilience on the road, erasing an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit against one of the AFC’s toughest defenses. And for Newton, who’s never been shy with his opinions, that performance finally passed the eye test.
What stood out to him? The way New England’s offense is coming together - not around one superstar, but through collective effort.
Newton pointed out how different players are stepping up week to week, and that kind of balance is hard to game-plan against. It’s also a sign of a team that’s beginning to find its identity under Mike Vrabel.
At the center of it all is Drake Maye, the rookie quarterback who’s been under the microscope since the moment he took his first NFL snap. Against Baltimore, Maye had a rocky start - two turnovers in the first half - but showed poise and control when it mattered most.
Newton called him the “orchestrator” of the comeback, a nod to the maturity Maye displayed late in the game. While Newton didn’t go as far as to crown him just yet, it’s clear the respect is growing.
That’s a notable shift from Newton’s earlier comments after the Patriots beat the Jets, when he dismissed the win and suggested Maye’s early success was more about Josh McDaniels’ play-calling than anything the rookie was doing on his own. Back then, Newton wasn’t buying into the Maye hype. Now, after a signature win against a legitimate contender, he’s backing off the “fool’s gold” label.
But the drama hasn’t just been on the field.
Last month, when asked about Newton’s criticism, Maye played it cool - maybe too cool. He claimed he didn’t even know what show Newton was on when he made the comments.
That didn’t sit well with First Take co-host Stephen A. Smith, who came out swinging in defense of his colleague.
“[Drake Maye] is a liar,” Smith said on air. “Don’t tell me you’re an athlete and you don’t know that Cam Newton is on this show. You lying.”
Smith didn’t hold back, framing Maye’s response as more calculated than clueless - a brush-off that he saw as disingenuous rather than innocent.
Still, with Newton now giving Maye some props, it feels like the temperature is cooling a bit. And honestly, it probably should.
The Patriots just pulled off one of their most impressive wins of the season, and Maye - despite the early mistakes - was at the heart of it. He showed the kind of late-game command that’s hard to teach, and the kind of resilience that earns respect, even from former MVPs.
So, is the “fool’s gold” label officially dead? Newton didn’t say that outright. But after Sunday’s win, it sure sounds like he’s starting to see some real value in what Maye and the Patriots are building.