Cam Newton labels Drake Maye ‘game manager’ as beef continues

Cam Newton isn’t letting his beef with Drake Maye fade away.

The former quarterback took his latest jab at the Patriots’ signal-caller — and MVP contender — during an episode of “4th & 1 With Cam Newton” by calling him a “game manager.”

“Drake Maye is well and capable, has all of the upside and skill set,” Newton said. “But last year … a head coach was fired. … Does Jerod Mayo have a job right now? Offensive coordinator was Alex Van Pelt. Is he an offensive coordinator anywhere in this league? Thank you. Now insert Mike Vrabel. Now insert a dynamic play-caller in Josh McDaniels. The system is right, so I can’t just sit up here and say Drake Maye is a game-changer right now, because we’ve only had one season of dynamic play.”

Everything started back in November, when Newton described the Patriots as “fool’s gold” and once again attributed their success to McDaniels instead of Maye.

Maye, during a radio appearance on WEEI, then proceeded to respond with “I don’t even know what show he’s on.”

“I think they get paid to make remarks and make certain comments,” Maye said, according to Awful Announcing. “I just worry about what people in our organization think, and worry about what we think and what my teammates think. People are going to have different opinions. I’m just going out there on Sunday and worrying about ourselves.”

Stephen A. Smith, a colleague of Newton’s at “First Take,” then proceeded to call Maye a liar, claiming he didn’t know the shows for Newton — the 2015 MVP and three-time Pro Bowler who spent the 2020 season with the Patriots and McDaniels.

Around those comments, though, Maye continued a strong second season that featured an AFC East title, an outside chance at the No. 1 seed entering Week 18 and the possibility for the first MVP nod of his young career.

He has thrown for 4,203 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions — including five touchdowns in the first half alone against the Jets last week — and will have one final chance to add to those numbers Sunday, when New England faces the Dolphins in the regular-season finale.