Drake Maye refuses to do Cam Newton celebration

Drake Maye is still squeezing every last drop out of Cam Newton’s jab. The New England Patriots rookie and the former NFL MVP traded subtle shots leading into Week 12 after Newton openly wondered whether the Patriots are as good as their record suggests.

The feud apparently flared up again on Sunday as the Patriots beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-20. Before kickoff, Stefon Diggs approached Maye for their usual pregame handshake, only to break out Newton’s signature Superman celebration right in the rookie QB’s face. Maye shook his head in disbelief, then completed the handshake anyway.

This was obviously a shot from Drake Maye at Cam Newton for the words he said about the Patriots during the week. On “First Take” on Tuesday, the former Carolina Panthers quarterback called the Patriots’ 9-2 record “fool’s gold.”

“It has fool’s gold written all over them, cubic zirconia middle of the mall,” Newton said. “And, yes, is Drake Maye playing good football? Absolutely. I would like to attest his great play to one specific person that I know too well: Josh McDaniels. Now, Josh McDaniels may not be a great head coach, but he is a brilliant offensive mind.

“I have more concerns with the New England Patriots playing 5-and-6 teams that have losing records than going into a situation where the competition exceeds what you may have been used to. That’s the biggest question I have for Drake Maye.”

Drake Maye had a response to Cam Newton’s take on the Patriots

Drake Maye responded to Cam Newton about his opinion on the success of the New England Patriots under Mike Vrabel this season on Wednesday. The rookie, who's now considered one of the frontrunners for the MVP, said Newton's take doesn't disturb him a bit.

“I don't even know what show he's on,” Maye said. “I think they get paid to make remarks and make certain comments. So, I just worry about what people in our organization think, and worry about 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.”

Maye has been outstanding for the Patriots (10-2) as the team sits at the top of the NFL. Heading into Week 12, the quarterback has thrown for 2,836 yards and 20 touchdowns, completing 71.6% of his passes. He leads the league in passing yards and completion rate.