Drake Maye Now Knows Exactly How Cam Newton Felt in the Super Bowl

10 years ago, Drake Maye was in the building to watch the Carolina Panthers crumble in Super Bowl 50. He saw what that vaunted Denver Broncos defense did to his beloved Cam Newton from the stands.

Let's set the scene. A young (ish) quarterback has ascended to pretty much the peak of the position, leading one of the best, most efficient offenses in the NFL without much in the way of a star-studded supporting cast.

But he runs into a buzzsaw of a defense, and his offensive line, one that the QB had been able to offset the weaknesses of all season long, could not hold up under a vicious pass rush and a defense that was utterly smothering.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is pressured by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The defensive pressure got to the QB so often, and he didn't play all that well, also getting no help from anyone else on offense. There were multiple turnovers, including one that went for a defensive score right out of the QB's hands.

That should sound familiar to Panthers fans and New England Patriots fans. It's what happened to Cam Newton 10 years ago with Maye in the building, and it's what happened to Maye last night at Levi's Stadium.

Will Campbell did his best Mike Remmers impression, and the Seahawks defense channeled that Broncos unit. This Seahawks defense wasn't carrying a dead-arm, ancient Peyton Manning, but they were still one of the best defenses in the last few seasons.

Next Gen Stats attributed 14 QB Pressures Allowed to Will Campbell in Super Bowl LX - the most pressures allowed by any player in a game this season (including playoffs)@NextGenStats
— Jack Andrade (@RealJackAndrade) February 9, 2026

With Maye, there's a temptation to think that he'll be back. Like Newton, he has been very, very good as a young NFL player. There is, however, no guarantee. Take it from a Panthers fan. There's no guarantee of anything.

With how good Newton was in 2015 and how exceptional the team was, it felt like the beginning of something truly special. Instead, it was the end. Now, Maye and the Patriots are in the second year of this thing, and the future is still bright.

But some teams never get another shot. The Panthers had one playoff game at all between that Super Bowl and the end of the 2025 regular season. The Cincinnati Bengals are another example. They've not sniffed the big game since they went in 2021.

Maye should be able to bounce back, and the Patriots are on the upswing. But it's hard not to see the similarities to what happened with Newton and the Panthers.

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