Patriots' Cam Newton Praises Patrick Mahomes, Says Chiefs QB Is 'Changing The Game'

New England Patriots’ Cam Newton spoke highly of fellow star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, saying the reigning Super Bowl MVP is "changing the game."

Newton will be going up against Mahomes for the first time in his career when the Patriots visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday for a battle of the last two Super Bowl champions. But instead of trash talk, the 31-year-old had nothing but praise for the young superstar.

"Man, he's changing the game," Newton said Thursday, per ESPN. "I think he's shining light on the new wave of quarterbacks. It's just fun to watch."

The reigning Super Bowl champs are off to a blistering start, hoisting an unblemished 3-0 record as they are led by Mahomes, who has completed 82 of 121 passes for 898 yards on top of nine touchdowns and no interceptions.

"It's not like he's just back there and it's an arcade game," Newton added. "Sometimes it looks like it, but he knows exactly what he's doing and how he's manipulating the defense. That's the same thing that the Dan Marinos used to do. Obviously the Tom Bradys. The Aaron Rodgers. Those guys really have so much command of the offense that you dictate to the defense. That's what he's doing. He's playing the game at a high level."

In his first three games with the Patriots, Newton showed flashes of his old MVP form, completing 62 of 91 passes for 714 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions as New England tallied a 2-1 record. The veteran QB also has rushed 35 times for 149 yards and four touchdowns.

The two stars share a mutual admiration. Mahomes paid tribute to Newton as he recalled his playing days in Texas as a high school freshman. He started to become a fan of the 2015 MVP around this time, according to Mahomes.

"I wish I could do some of the things that he does as far as how physical he is and the way he’s able to make plays happen," Mahomes said of Newton, per USA Today. "He’s a great football player. I watched when he was at Auburn. I guess he went to Blinn College, which is down there kind of close to East Texas."

"He’s a great football player and he’s in a great spot now and he’s playing really good football," he continued. "I think it’s going to be a great challenge to go up against (Newton)’s team, knowing that they’re going to be able to really move the football."