Smith blasts Newton for calling Panthers 'losers' before arrival - ESPN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — 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 Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's podcast, «The Travis Hunter Show,» 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.»

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 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.

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 lockeroom — 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,» Smith wrote on X along with an angry-face emoji in response to Newton's comments.

53 man lockeroom — 1 = 52 losers

Wow… breaking news to 89!