Clout chasing, criticism and revisionist history: The Cam Newton experience lives on

The latest media outrage towards former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is nothing new. In fact, it's been prevalent throughout his career.

Cam Newton has not been on an NFL field since his bombshell return to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Yet, his name being a constant source of traffic, clicks, views, and everything in between remains higher than ever before.

Newton hasn't given up playing again. He's a smart guy, so building a media empire away from the gridiron is a great way to stay involved. Even if an unlikely call does arrive from a team desperate for help at the quarterback position.

Cam Newton is more qualified to speak football than most

This week, the Panthers icon has made plenty of headlines for his comments regarding game managers and game-changers at football's most critical position. Analysts, columnists, podcasters, and fellow professionals have all had their say. Some even diminished Newton's accomplishments on the field during a glittering career and mocked that he wasn't on a roster currently.

Whether you agree with Newton's comments or not is moot. He might be right. He might be wrong. But make no mistake, he's better qualified than most to speak on the matter.

Newton is a Heisman Trophy winner after inspiring Auburn to a national championship - as a junior. An NFL Rookie of the Year. An NFL MVP. He transformed the Panthers from also-rans into legitimate contenders, reaching a Super Bowl following a sensational 2015 season that made him the league's face.

He is one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time. Newton holds multiple rushing records. He inspired a generation of signal-callers looking to follow in his footsteps. Some are currently thriving as starters around the NFL.

Someone that changed the way the position is played. Someone with far more football experience than a beat writer and TV personality to speak on quarterback play. And by the way, the term game manager isn't a slight whatsoever.

Quarterbacks that are cocooned in friendly schemes still have to execute. Many successful game-managing players under center have enjoyed phenomenal careers. Many have won Super Bowls. Some even made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Not everyone is Patrick Mahomes, and that's fine. But the clout-chasing and revisionist history some couldn't wait to throw at Newton in the wake of his comments was asinine and quite frankly, extremely unprofessional.

This was the case throughout Newton's playing career. He never clapped back at his critics. He never called anybody out. He let his play and leadership do the talking when everyone seemed to have an opinion on his play, how he conducted himself, and even his dress sense.

Now, Newton has a platform to speak his mind. Something he did emphatically during a 10-minute social media post calling out those who've thrown shade.

One couldn't help but agree with everything Newton said. This is a hot-take world where clicks are king. He's always been a primary source of discussion for good or bad. Now, he beats to his drum and can articulate his feelings on any football-related matter with a qualified perspective.

With Newton transitioning more to the media side thanks to his podcast and other ventures, his name will remain in the headlines. Analysts can't seem to stop themselves from taking any opportunity to criticize and almost condemn Newton. All because he's got opinions on the game he's contributed significantly towards.

If this week's taught us anything, it's that the Cam Newton experience lives on. Judging by how most Panthers fans reacted to the countless critiques surrounding one of the most beloved figures in franchise history, they'll be fighting alongside him every step of the way.