If he hasn’t already, Carolina Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. may want to listen to the entirety of Cam Newton’s now-controversial point about his “loser” teammates.
Yeah, the end of that sentence sounds pretty awful for the franchise’s all-time leading passer—who chatted it up with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at “Radio Row” this past week. Hunter, one of the favorites to be taken atop the 2025 NFL draft, asked Newton about the pressures of entering the pros as a No. 1 overall pick.
And Newton, the first selection by Carolina back in 2011, stated the following . . .
Cam Newton hopped on Travis Hunters’ show and dropped a GEM about being the #1 pick
@TravisHunterJr @CameronNewton pic.twitter.com/oJPsXALOEx
— Overtime (@overtime) February 7, 2025
One of his teammates from that rookie campaign was the franchise’s all-time leading receiver Steve Smith Sr., who really took exception to the comments. He ripped off a few pointed posts on Twitter/X on Monday:
53 man lockeroom – 1 = 52 losers
Wow… breaking news to 89!
https://t.co/sLYEbSxH3i
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) February 10, 2025
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 !!!— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) February 10, 2025
I’ve never backed down from my words. However calling the men in the lockeroom losers isn’t slander it’s disrespectful! I disliked a lot of things that happened w
my time there. But calling men losers naw— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) February 10, 2025
Well, it turns out the clip that Smith Sr. reacted to cut out some key context.
Here is Newton’s full response, without the magic of editing:
So was Newton actually wrong?
Perhaps it may be distasteful, or even “disrespectful,” to call people “losers.” But when you go a league-worst 2-14 as a team, you’re not exactly winners.
Newton more than likely was not bunching Smith Sr. under that label. Smitty, who is known as one of the most fiery competitors in the history of the game, played an integral role in the organization’s first-ever conference crown in 2003.
But we’ll just wait for Newton himself to reply to his former wideout. We have a feeling it’s coming . . .
Fan questions— What do you want @CameronNewton to talk about or respond to on this week’s episode?
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) February 11, 2025