Steve Smith Sr. unhappy with former teammate Cam Newton calling Panthers ‘losers' prior his arrival
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Cam Newton hopped on Travis Hunters' show and dropped a GEM about being the #1 pick 💎
— Overtime (@overtime)
Advertisement
Those comments didn't sit well with Smith, the most productive receiver ever to wear a Panthers uniform and one of 15 finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Smith was a member of that 2010 team, though he struggled to produce that season due in large part to the inconsistency at the quarterback position.
'53 man locker room - 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,' Smith wrote on X along with an angry-face emoji in response to Newton's comments.
53 man lockeroom - 1 = 52 losers
Wow… breaking news to 89! 🤬
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89)
Smith, who went on to become an analyst for the NFL Network, didn't stop there.
A few hours later, he
I've watched & listened from a far as U
talk about
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89)
Newton and Smith spent three seasons together in Carolina from 2011-13 and occasionally butted heads.
Newton earned AP Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 and helped build the Panthers into a winning franchise.
Advertisement
He won league MVP honors in 2015 when he combined for 45 touchdowns and the Panthers finished 15-1 in the regular season and reached Super Bowl 50 before losing to the Denver Broncos. In that game Newton was widely criticized for not jumping on a fumble, leading to a crucial Carolina turnover.
Newton spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Panthers and remains the franchise leader in yards passing and touchdown passes. He was 68-60-1 as Carolina's starting QB, the second-best winning percentage in franchise history among QBs with at least 25 starts behind Jake Delhomme (53-37), who led Carolina to its first Super Bowl appearance in 2003.
When a fan suggested on X that Smith has been critical of the Panthers in the past, the outspoken former wide receiver quickly responded: 'I've never backed down from my words. 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.'
I've never backed down from my words. However calling the men in the lockeroom losers isn't slander it's disrespectful! I disliked a lot of things that happened w
my time there. But calling men losers naw
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89)
Newton has not responded to Smith's comments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NHL Makes Leon Draisaitl Announcement After Wild Oilers-Panthers Game 1
NHL Makes Leon Draisaitl Announcement After Wild Oilers-Panthers Game 1 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The series opener of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final was one to remember. In a game that saw both teams take turns in making big goals, it was Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers who came out on top against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place in Edmonton via a 4-3 score on Thursday night. Advertisement The former Hart Memorial Trophy winner was the first one to light the lamp in the series, needing just 66 seconds into the contest to find the back of the net and put Edmonton on the board for a 1-0 lead. The Panthers scored the next three goals, including one from Sam Bennett early in the second period to give Florida a 3-1 lead. But Viktor Arvidsson answered that goal with his own a little over a minute later to cut Edmonton's deficit in half. Mattias Ekholm scored what would become the lone goal from either team in the third period, sending the contest into overtime, where Draisaitl weaved his magic. Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) reacts after scoring the game-winning goal against the Nelson-Imagn Images Three former Hart Memorial Trophy winners combined for Draisaitl's game-winning goal, as it came off assists from Connor McDavid and Corey Perry. Advertisement That goal was also Draisaitl's third in overtime, so far in the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. According to the NHL's post on X after Game 1, Draisaitl is now tied for the most overtime goals in a single playoffs. Back in the first round, Draisaitl scored an overtime goal in Game 4 of the Oilers' series versus the Los Angeles Kings. In the second round, he struck again in OT with a game-winning score in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The win over Florida showed the Oilers' lethal offense that makes Edmonton so tough to beat and stave off even with a significant lead. Among all teams that made the 2025 playoffs, the Oilers average the most goals per game with 4.06. Advertisement Related: Oilers' Connor McDavid Enters Wayne Gretzky Territory in Game 1 Win vs. Panthers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers' First Post After Signing Aaron Rodgers Turns Heads
Steelers' First Post After Signing Aaron Rodgers Turns Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After weeks that seemed like years, there's finally a resolution to the Pittsburgh Steelers-Aaron Rodgers saga. Advertisement The two sides had been playing an intense game of cat-and-mouse since Rodgers was officially released by the New York Jets back on March 13, and after Rodgers reportedly was rejected by the Minnesota Vikings, the Steelers emerged as the frontrunner to sign the four-time MVP. With Rodgers still unsigned back in April, some believed the Steelers were considering taking Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft. Sanders slipped to the fifth round before being snatched up by the Cleveland Browns, and the Steelers grabbed Ohio State QB Will Howard one round later. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers exits the field at MetLife Boland-Imagn Images With Howard clearly being drafted as a development project, it looked like Mason Rudolph was on track to start training camp as Pittsburgh's QB1 until the news everyone had been waiting for broke on Thursday and Rodgers was officially heading to Pittsburgh. Advertisement Hours after Gary Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke the news that Rodgers informed the team he was signing with them, the Steelers posted for the first time on X after the Rodgers news broke official confirming his signing. 'We have agreed to terms with QB Aaron Rodgers on a one-year contract, pending the completion of a physical,' the team posted on X. The official announcement caused quite a stir among the team's fan base, and while some were excited about Rodgers' signing, many others flooded the comment section, expressing their unhappiness with Pittsburgh's new starting QB. 'This feels cheap and desperate. This is not a Pittsburgh Steeler,' one fan scoffed. Advertisement 'Congrats. You just signed the THIRD best QB in the division 🤣🤣,' another fan quipped. 'LMAO yall be doing anything but getting a real QB,' a third fan joked. 'Bro he is NOT saving yall 😭😭😭,' one user stated. 'Steelers really fumbling the bag this offseason lmao,' another replied. 'Just what the team needs, a locker room distraction at QB,' remarked one fan. In his lone season with the Jets (he didn't play in 2022 due to a torn Achilles in the season opener), Rodgers completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and New York went just 5-12. Related: Colts Make Devastating Anthony Richardson Injury Announcement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fever star Caitlin Clark to miss at least 2 weeks with a left quad strain
One of the best and most exciting players in the WNBA is looking at a two-week absence at minimum. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a left quad strain, the team announced Monday. The Fever released a brief statement announcing the news: "Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has suffered a left quadriceps strain and will be out a minimum of two weeks, the team announced today. Further updates will be provided, as available, following re-evaluation." Advertisement The team did not provide additional details, including when Clark sustained the injury. It's reportedly a new injury for Clark, who also dealt with a left quad strain in the preseason. Clark missed the team's preseason opener due to that injury before returning for the Fever's second preseason game. Clark played 37 minutes in the team's 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday. She posted her usual numbers in the loss, scoring 18 points and dishing out 10 assists. 'I don't know when it happened,' Fever coach Stephanie White said, via the Indianapolis Star. 'I know [after the Liberty game] we got a message that something was going on with her leg and they were getting an MRI, and then we got the word.' Clark will miss at least four games while recovering from the injury. If she's available to play after exactly two weeks, Clark could be cleared to face the Atlanta Dream on June 10. That's the earliest possible timetable for Clark's return. She could miss additional time after being re-evaluated by the team. Advertisement After being selected by the Fever with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark established herself as a future superstar. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds in her first taste of the WNBA. That performance earned her the Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star appearance and a top-four finish in MVP voting. Clark was poised for even better things in her second season. Through four games, she was putting up similar numbers to her rookie year, averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists and 6 rebounds. 'When you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games, she's obviously a competitor and wants to play, obviously everyone wants to watch her play, you know?' White said. 'But for me, it's maintaining perspective, right? It's making sure that we address this in a way that doesn't affect long term, that we take care of it. Don't over push, don't over exert, making sure that we take the long-game approach to this, so that we're not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season. Sometimes great players don't tell you when they're hurting. I'm glad that she did, because we need to nip this in the bud.' With Clark sidelined, the Fever will rely more heavily on Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to carry a bigger scoring load. Boston ranks second on the team — behind Clark — with 18.5 points per game. Mitchell is third on the team with 17.8 points per game. The Fever (2-2) will play their first game without Clark on Wednesday, when they travel to take on the Washington Mystics.
