It hasn’t taken long for all of New England to get behind Drake Maye as the true successor to Tom Brady, even if it is five years later than anyone could have hoped for. He has already become a fan favorite, and the support for the young quarterback is reaching new heights after every Patriots win, despite consistent criticism from some in the media, such as former QB Cam Newton.

The one-time Patriot has earned a spot in the NFL media, as he has become a co-host on ESPN’s First Take, alongside Stephen A. Smith, and his commentary has already sparked a lot of backlash from those in Patriots Nation, and rightfully so.

It all stems from his harsh criticism of Maye and the Patriots, calling them “fool’s gold” and continually dismissing the idea that the 23-year-old could play at the level of a top-10 quarterback, even though the statistics back that up.

That has prompted Patriots fans to revert to their Newton-bashing ways, but this time feels different because they’re defending a player who shouldn’t be so harshly critiqued, and they made their feelings abundantly clear during their primetime game this past Monday.

Cam Newton continues to hear from Patriots fans for his downplaying takes on Drake Maye

While Newton has received a lot of blowback for his Maye and Patriots takes this year, much of it has been on social media, which is easier to ignore.

But what’s not easy to overlook is fans bringing signs to Patriots games that prove just how much they’re not enjoying his commentary on the 11-2 team, as seen on the Jumbotron during Monday night’s game against the Giants.

Given the widespread disdain many Patriots fans already have for Newton, warranted or otherwise, he certainly hasn’t helped get in their good graces by constantly downplaying what his former team has accomplished this season, which has been nothing short of impressive.

On top of that, Maye hasn’t done anything that opens the door to the level Newton and others have. Instead, he’s playing at an elite level, whether they want to believe it or not, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Maye has proven to be the real deal, regardless of what the naysayers want to point to about the Patriots’ schedule, and he’s squarely in the MVP conversation because of it. Even better, he’s a significant reason the Patriots are the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and could win the division for the first time since 2019 by beating the Bills in Week 15.

That says enough about what kind of team the Patriots are and the kind of quarterback Maye is, and it’s clear the fans won’t let Newton forget that.