Cam Newton's accusations spark Panthers' civil war with former teammates

Cam Newton's never been short of things to say, more so in his new role as a media personality than ever. His latest controversial comments have drawn the ire of some former Carolina Panthers teammates.

Newton is thriving after football. He's got a successful podcast and a contract with ESPN, working alongside Stephen A. Smith and others on First Take. His charisma, flamboyance, and speaking his mind have gone over well with most.

That's not the case with everybody.

Cam Newton's comments draw response from ex-Carolina Panthers teammates

The former No. 1 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft caused a stir during a podcast alongside draft prospect Travis Hunter. Newton claimed he went into a team of losers who didn't know how to prepare effectively or win. He also added that some of them were in it for the money and not much else.

"You're the top pick because that was the worst team in the NFL the year before. For me, I wanted to be the number one pick. My issue is when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room of losers. Guys that didn't know how to win. Guys didn't know how to prepare. It was a culture shock for me. The games don't mean a lot to a lot of people in the league, like you would expect. It's just money. Not everybody has the capabilities to be impact players. They're just players."

Cam Newton via Overtime

The clip was taken out of context somewhat. Newton went on to state that some players were talking about vacation long before the campaign ended. However, questioning the character of his old teammates was bound to rub people up the wrong way.

They might not have been the most talented, but these accusations of being soft were too much.

Steve Smith Sr. was one of them. Newton's comments were the straw that brought the camel's back for the ex-receiver, who voiced his displeasure about the way his former quarterback has been speaking about the Panthers since entering the media.

Charles Johnson, who was also part of the Panthers' team when Newton came into the fold, said the statement didn't sit right with him. There were also accusations about the Heisman Trophy winner's ego talking without proper acknowledgment of the team aspect.

"A professional calling his teammates losers will never sit well with me. Don’t care what no one says. We all battle together. Not just one person. It’s never one person who will win a game. That’s ego talking! Team game, respect the guys. Just my opinion just like his."

Charles Johnson via X

The Panthers were abysmal in the season before Newton was drafted. The Auburn product was also out of line for questioning the character of everybody in the locker room.

Both things can be true.

Newton won everywhere in college. Coming to the Panthers took some adjustment, but it's not like he won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by himself. Besides, things didn't really take off until Luke Kuechly was drafted the following year.

There is nothing that substitutes the individual over the team in the NFL. Newton's ex-teammates have every right to feel aggrieved, especially the top-level performers with the right mindset like Smith and Johnson. He decided to tar everyone with the same brush instead.

He's entitled to an opinion and isn't afraid to give it no matter the potential repercussions. Newton isn't totally wrong, but adding a little extra context and making sure he highlighted some who were fully committed to the cause would have been the better route to go down.

It'll be interesting to see what Newton says next on the topic. But in his new line of work, controversy creates cash.

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