Panthers news: Luke Kuechly, Julius Peppers, apologies and analytics

Cam Newton gets an apology

Cam Newton has been making a splash in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week. He might be done with football - or so it seems - but the former Carolina Panthers quarterback is rapidly becoming one of the independent media's rising stars thanks to his forthright opinions and renowned charisma.

People are still making a fuss about Newton's game-manager versus game-changer comments. Brock Purdy reaching the Super Bowl has a lot to do with it. If the San Francisco 49ers end up beating the Kansas City Chiefs, the discourse is likely to continue.

Newton got another supreme feather in his cap by appearing on ESPN's First Take. The 2015 NFL MVP also got an apology from none other than Stephen A. Smith for his reaction to the comments. Something that sparked widespread criticism from those who've been quick to bash the signal-caller throughout his playing days.

"Me personally, I owe you an apology. We owe you an apology. … Whether we agree or disagree with your synopsis, your dissection of Brock Purdy, and whether he's a game manager as opposed to a game changer or anything like that, what it deteriorated into was people questioning whether you had the right to say it. That was never the intent. You are a former number one overall pick, former league MVP who took a team to a Super Bowl appearance with less at the quarterback position. You have the right to have the opinion that you had."

- Stephen A. Smith via Sportskeeda

This is the problem, in a sense. With so many former players deciding to take their chances in the media world, it's leaving those who never played the game feeling a sense of insecurity. That doesn't apply to Smith given his status, but the fact remains with others.