Cam Newton has defended former teammate Steve Smith Sr. after a joke about the Carolina Panthers legend’s career led to an awkward exchange on television. Speaking on his *4th&1* podcast, Newton said sports journalists can criticize athletes but should not diminish their accomplishments.
“Journalists should be able to critique athletes,” Newton said. “But journalists or people who cover sports should not make a point by discrediting another person’s career.”
Newton added that sports coverage benefits from a mix of perspectives, including those of people who have played the game and those who have not. In his view, relying on only one group would leave coverage one-sided.
The dispute began after Smith followed ESPN *SportsCenter* hosts Gary Striewski and Randy Scott on social media. Scott joked that someone could be a “Hall of Fame player” and still never make the playoffs, apparently referring to Smith. Striewski quickly denied having made the comment.
Smith later appeared on the show, where the hosts continued the banter. Scott kept teasing Striewski about the remark, while Smith watched the exchange. At one point, the former wide receiver closed his eyes as the conversation continued.
Smith had plenty of achievements to point to in response. He spent 16 seasons in the NFL, most of them with Carolina, and earned five Pro Bowl selections. In 2005, he led the league in receiving yards. He finished his career in 2016 with 1,031 catches for 14,731 yards.
The postseason joke referenced a less successful part of his record: Smith missed the playoffs in 11 of his 16 seasons, making it five times. During his appearance, he told the hosts to fix their ties, reinforcing his confidence in the exchange. Both men stumbled over their words while speaking with him, and Smith laughed when Striewski gave a lengthy response to a question about the Bills-Vikings game.
Newton said he understood why Smith might take the joke personally. The two played together for three seasons in Carolina, and Newton said the version of Smith he knew in the locker room would have reacted differently from the composed former player seen on television.
“They about to fool around to find out,” Newton said. “See, this is corporate Steve. I seen locker room, Steve. It would have went completely different had this been in the locker room.”
Smith’s intensity was well known during his playing career. He was involved in several confrontations, including incidents with teammates Anthony Bright in 2002 and Ken Lucas in 2008. Both episodes resulted in team suspensions and significant fines. He was also known for heated on-field exchanges and had an outburst during practice in 2016.
Newton and Smith have had disagreements of their own. In February 2025, Newton described the 2011 Panthers team as a “locker room of losers” while discussing the difference between the influence of a quarterback and that of other players.
“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.”
Smith took exception to the description and responded on X with an angry-face emoji, writing: “53 man locker room – 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89.”
Newton later clarified that he had not directed the remark specifically at Smith. The two have since moved past that disagreement. In defending Smith now, Newton appeared to make clear that he believes the television joke crossed a line by reducing a distinguished career to a playoff statistic.
Newton also suggested the exchange may not be the end of the matter, hinting that Smith is likely to remember what happened.
