Drake Maye is reeling with a humiliating 13-29 defeat in the Super Bowl and the scrutiny it followed. But amidst the negative chatter, one prominent voice has raved about the New England Patriots’ quarterback. 

In his appearance on the show, First Take, former QB Cam Newton praised Maye for his many achievements leading up to this Super Bowl.

“I’m extremely proud of how he handled himself throughout the whole season,” Newton revealed.

“I would allow myself, if I'm you, to feel every emotion of this game. Are you disappointed? You should be. But understand this, this game wasn't just about what you did,” Newton said.

The Seattle Seahawks pressured Maye on 19 dropbacks. On Sunday, he left the field defeated with a 3-10 record for 40 yards and two interceptions. Even though he made two explosive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the game was already lost. 

Maye was sacked a whopping six times. So yes, Maybe should be disappointed.

Does One Game Discredit Drake Maye Altogether

Maye led the Patriots into the Super Bowl just two years after he was drafted. As of Sunday, it had been seven years since they last won in 2019. The Patriots triumphed against the Los Angeles with legend Tom Brady still at their QB. 

Meanwhile, Maye, at age 23, is one of the three youngest QBs to start for the title. 

And that’s why Newton advised Maye to relish this season.

“This season wasn't a failure. You made leaps, strides and bounds to becoming an MVP candidate. ... It's only the beginning, not the end,” Newton said. 

Despite the major loss, Maye had an otherwise successful year. For 4,394 yards, he threw 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.

The franchise ended its breakout season with a 14-3 record after winning only eight games in the past two years. Maye lost the MVP award to Matthew Stafford by just one point.

Having gone through something similar during Super Bowl L, Newton knows this feeling. Newton, a Carolina Panthers QB, lost to the Denver Broncos 24-10. And that’s why he reminded Maye to keep working on the same goal despite different circumstances. 

“Next year is a new situation, but the goal is still the same: Super Bowl."

Will they reach this goal? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar