Drake Maye has been on fire in the 2025 season. During the 4-game win streak that the New England Patriots are enjoying, he’s thrown for 959 yards, 7 TDs, and 0 INTs. He’s proving that he was worthy of being the third overall pick, so much so that some are beginning to say he’s one of the best QBs in the league.
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In fact, some are already placing Maye amongst the Top 5 QBs so far this season. Now, this is mostly just Patriots fans dreaming that they have the second coming of Tom Brady on their hands. On top of that, former two-time Super Bowl champ Damien Woody also ranked Maye in the Top 5.
And upon hearing this, former Patriots QB Cam Newton felt compelled to give a reality check.
“Top 5 in the NFL?” Newton questioned on First Take. “Alright. Damien, you’re tripping, son. Is he playing good football? Yes, he definitely is. But Top 5 in the NFL?”
It was an interesting analysis, full of rhetorical questions, that offered a realistic viewpoint on Maye. But Newton probably didn’t realize that he may have been crushing Drake’s dreams in the process.
For context, Maye grew up in North Carolina, rooting for the Panthers. His favorite QB was also Newton. The youngster even got to attend the Super Bowl the year the Panthers went 15-1 and Cam won MVP. Earlier this season, Maye hit the “SuperCam” celebration after scoring a rushing TD against Carolina. Then, after the game, he gave a shoutout to his favorite player.
That’s why Newton’s take on Maye will probably bruise the QB’s ego a bit. But that’s fine, because Cam still wishes him well and has love for the Patriots QB.
“Nothing against Drake Maye, because I’m a fan. If I’ve never been a fan of any young quarterback, he’s my favorite. But I don’t think he’s reached a limit now where you need to consider him Top 5,” Newton clarified.
The former QB went on to state the biggest reason why he thinks Maye shouldn’t yet be considered in the Top 5.
“These performances, if we have to state the obvious, came by way of the Tennessee Titans. And the game when he was really impressive, was when he played against Buffalo. And that’s not to discredit anything that he’s doing, I’m just saying for him to get labeled a Top 5 quarterback, he has to do it against well and capable competition on a consistent basis.”
.@CameronNewton can’t believe @damienwoody said Drake Maye is playing like a top five QB in the league right now pic.twitter.com/damjedc4oO
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 20, 2025
To be fair to Newton, it hasn’t just been the Titans. Maye also trounced the Panthers when they were struggling, and the New Orleans Saints. Against the Bills, he was a terrific game-manager and took care of the football, but he didn’t register a TD and had only 12 rushing yards.
This is why Newton can’t say that Maye is a Top 5 QB just yet. And it’s a fair argument that he made. We know everyone is super excited about a young QB finding his groove for a storied franchise. But it’s only been 7 games, and it’s hard to include Maye in the Top 5 right now.
After all, Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, and even Jared Goff have all been playing stellar this season. Is Maye better than any of those guys right now? We don’t tend to think so. But he could very well be on his way, and New England fans must be excited.
