Former Carolina star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. took exception to comments made by ex-teammate Cam Newton, who called the Panthers “losers” before he arrived in 2011 as the franchise’s No. 1 overall pick.
Newton, in an appearance on a podcast featuring University of Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter last week leading up to the Super Bowl, spoke about the pressures Hunter might face if he’s selected as the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“You could potentially be the first pick, but, bro, you have no way of impacting the game the way a quarterback does,” Newton said on the podcast. “You can lock down the No. 1 receiver. You can make impact plays on offense all you want but it’s still not like a quarterback. My issue is that, when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room of losers. Just honest. Guys didn’t know how to win; guys didn’t know how to prepare. They didn’t take themselves serious to realize we was 2-14. There was a lot of 2-14 in the mentality of those guys.”
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Those comments didn’t sit well with Smith, the most productive receiver ever to wear a Panthers uniform and one of 15 finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Smith was a member of that 2010 team, though he struggled to produce that season due in large part to the inconsistency at the quarterback position.
“53 man locker room – 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,” Smith wrote on X along with an angry-face emoji in response to Newton’s comments.
Smith, who went on to become an analyst for the NFL Network, didn’t stop there.
A few hours later, he posted on X: “I’ve watched & listened from a far as U @CameronNewton talk about @Panthers! None of us are perfect. Yes We were 2-14 before you blessed us w ur presence. The way you have talked about @panthers lately I’m very disappointed. I wish u nothing but the very best. I’m done!!!”
Newton and Smith spent three seasons together in Carolina from 2011-13 and occasionally butted heads.
Newton would earn AP Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 and helped build the Panthers into a winning franchise.
He won league MVP honors in 2015 when he combined for 45 touchdowns and the Panthers finished 15-1 in the regular season and reached Super Bowl 50 before losing to the Denver Broncos. In that game, Newton was widely criticized for not jumping on a fumble, leading to a crucial Carolina turnover.
Newton spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Panthers and remains the franchise leader in yards passing and touchdown passes. He was 68-60-1 as Carolina’s starting QB, the second-best winning percentage in franchise history among QBs with at least 25 starts, behind Jake Delhomme (53-37), who led Carolina to its first Super Bowl appearance in 2003.
When a fan suggested on X that Smith has been critical of the Panthers in the past, the outspoken former wide receiver quickly responded: “I’ve never backed down from my words. However calling the men in the locker room losers isn’t slander it’s disrespectful! I disliked a lot of things that happened w/ my time there. But calling men losers naw.”
Newton has not responded to Smith’s comments.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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