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Former Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith Sr. came to the defense of his former teammates on Tuesday after Cam Newton described the players as “losers” before the quarterback got there.
The Panthers selected Smith in the third round of the 2001 draft. Ten years later, the Panthers found their franchise quarterback in Newton with the No. 1 overall pick. Carolina had been to the playoffs three times, including making a Super Bowl appearance, before Newton was selected.
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Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, share a laugh during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)
Carolina was 2-14 in 2010, which landed the team the No. 1 overall pick. Newton came in and eventually helped improve the team to division winners. They made Super Bowl 50 – only to lose to the Denver Broncos. Smith left the team after the 2013 season.
Newton’s “losers” remark came during an “Overtime” podcast interview when asked what type of pressures Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter may face upon entering the league.
“You could potentially be the first pick, but, bro, you have no way of impacting the game the way a quarterback does,” Newton said. “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.”
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Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, celebrate Smith’s touchdown catch against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)
The remark did not sit well with Smith.
“53 man locker room – 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,” he wrote in an initial post on X.
“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!!!”
One fan pointed out Smith had been critical of the Panthers in the past.
“I’ve never backed down from my words,” he said in response. “However calling the men in the locker room losers isn’t slander it’s disrespectful! I disliked a lot of things that happened w/ my time there. But calling men losers naw.”
Squabbling over the past is far from what the Panthers organization needs to hear from its most famous alumni.
Carolina has not had a winning season since 2017. It was also the last time they made the playoffs. Since then, the team has had five head coaches with three interim head coaches.
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, #1, on the sidelines in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 2, 2022. (Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)
The Panthers were 5-12 in 2024, an improvement from their 2-15 season in 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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