RGIII Becomes Surprising Voice of Reason After Cam Newton’s Drake Maye Tirade

Credit where it is due. Robert Griffin III has become more of a voice of reason in recent months. 

As a result, race idolaters like Ryan Clark have tried to diminish his credibility by belittling him for marrying a white woman. Apparently, a black man marrying a white woman is a negative in certain media circles.

Likewise, Griffin is one of the few former players-turned-media analysts to offer an honest assessment of the Cam Newton and Drake Maye story.

For background, Newton has spent the season trying to make an enemy of the Patriots Drake May, who has emerged as one of the best in the league in just his second season. Initially, Newton dismissed Maye’s success as "fool’s gold." Last week, he doubled down by declaring Maye a "game manager" and not a "game changer."

Griffin addressed Newton on his "Outta Pocket with RGIII" podcast on Monday.

"If I could give any advice to my guy, and he doesn’t have to take it, just take a step back and ask yourself, ‘Is this helping?’"

"There are so many players that hate players who are in the media because of things like that. That’s not worth the click."

He continued, "Support that young man, and then when he starts to falter, you can give constructive criticism. But to give criticism when he’s rising, when he’s balling, and when he’s about to win MVP, that’s unnecessary."

Where Griffin deserves credit is that his comments will undoubtedly stir racial backlash. As Griffin has learned, siding with a white player over a black media member is no bueno. Moreover, Griffin is right.

In reality, "game manager" and "game changer" are made-up terms. They do not carry official meanings. However, it's Newton's intent that warrants scrutiny. One can clearly tell by watching the video that Newton used the term "game manager" with a negative connotation, implying that Maye is along for the ride and not the reason for the Patriots’ 14-3 season.

First, Newton’s take is objectively false. Drake Maye led the NFL in passer rating, QBR, completion percentage, and yards per attempt this season. He was also one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the league, with 450 rushing yards and a critically acclaimed deep ball. 

Maye did more with less than any of his peers. According to Next Gen Stats, Maye led the NFL with 76 first downs or touchdowns under pressure. He was the only player with more than 60. 

By the numbers, no one changed the game more this season than Maye.

Second, Newton does not care about the facts. He is using Drake Maye as a foil as a business practice. As Griffin notes, this has become a common occurrence in the media. Analysts believe their only path to success is establishing themselves as the chief agitator of a successful, usually white, athlete. Chris Canty did it with Joe Burrow. Domonique Foxworth did it with Josh Allen. Kendrick Perkins tried it with Nikola Jokic. A long list of women at ESPN tried to stand out as Caitlin Clark’s fiercest critic, from Monica McNutt to Elle Duncan.

For what it is worth, Griffin faced criticism while an ESPN analyst for the opposite approach. Outlets like ours questioned his credibility on Monday Night Football for using the platform to defend Lamar Jackson, whom he called his "little brother," often against strawmen.

Put simply, many former players in the media are intellectual lightweights who lack the knowledge and work ethic required to become credible analysts. Figures like Cam Newton do not want to put in the work of a Dan Orlovsky to understand what the film actually says about the players they praise and criticize.

Instead, they attempt to build their careers by antagonizing the fan bases of elite athletes. It is all so obvious, predictable, and desperate.

By the way, Drake Maye produced a season statistically superior to Cam Newton’s 2025 MVP campaign in nearly every commonly cited category. By Newton’s own definition, that would make him a "game manager" -- one who flamed out of the league by his early 30s, that is.

Related: No One Quite Understands Drake Maye's Nickname -- And That's The Point