Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has rejected a claim that New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is a top-five NFL quarterback. The claim was made by former Patriots offensive guard Damien Woody during a Monday appearance on First Take.

Newton refused to be sold on the hype, however, maintaining that the Patriots quarterback is not top-five in the league. He said:

“Top five in the NFL? All right, Damien, you’re tripping. Is he playing good football? Yes, he definitely is. But top five in the NFL?”

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Newton quickly clarified that he had nothing against Maye, whom he considers a good quarterback. He continued:

“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 a top five.”

The former NFL MVP then stated what he thinks would put Drake Maye in the conversation for top-five NFL quarterbacks, saying:

“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-five quarterback, he has to do it against well and capable competition on a consistent basis.”

Drake Maye surpasses Tom Brady’s Patriots record

During the Patriots’ win at Tennessee, Drake Maye set a new franchise record for pass completion rate, beating the previous record held by Tom Brady. The former first-round pick completed 21 of 23 passes (91.3%) for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Brady set the previous record in 2009 in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he completed 23 of 26 passes (88.5%). With Maye’s new record, he became the 33rd NFL quarterback to complete at least 90% of 14 or more pass attempts.

His record is also tied for the 20th-best completion rate in the league’s history, along with Jayden Daniels and Vinny Testarverde. The second-year quarterback has been pivotal for the Patriots this season, as they lead the AFC East with a 5-2 record. In seven games, he has thrown for 1,744 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The Patriots’ next opponents are the Cleveland Browns. The two sides are set to lock horns next Sunday.