(This story was updated to add new information.)
Is there a beef cooking between two Carolina Panthers legends?
The franchise’s all-time leading passer Cam Newton has seemingly ruffled the feathers of the franchise’s all-time leading receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Newton, while joining reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at “Radio Row” this past week, talked about the pressure of being a No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft. And in doing so, he used a not-so-flattering title for his former teammates . . .
That “losers” comment apparently didn’t sit well with Smith Sr., who tweeted out the following on Monday:
@SteveSmithSr89 (Twitter/X)
The Panthers selected Newton atop the 2011 draft after going a league-worst 2-14 in 2010. They weren’t “losers” for much longer, as Carolina went 12-4 in 2013 while capturing their first NFC South title in five years.
That campaign would be the final one in Charlotte for Smith Sr., who was released by the Panthers during the 2014 offseason.
Newton and the Panthers proceeded to win two more division crowns in the following two seasons, a run capped off by the franchise’s first-ever Most Valuable Player Award (Cam) and their second-ever Super Bowl appearance.
Smith Sr. played out the final three seasons of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring after the 2016 campaign.
Perhaps Newton, who has praised Smith Sr. numerous times in recent years, wasn’t directing the “losers” label to him specifically. After all, can you guess who was a (big) part of the organization’s first-ever Super Bowl team?
Update (5:10 p.m. ET): Smith Sr. followed up the above post with this . . .
