Cam Newton Doubles Down on Panthers 'Losers' Comments: 'Aggressive, But It's True'

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton didn't change his perspective despite receiving backlash for comments he made regarding the team's locker room when he was drafted in 2011.

"When did we become so sensitive?" Newton said on his 4th and 1 with Cam Newton podcast, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "When did we become so sensitive to really speaking what the reality is? A locker room full of losers? Aggressive, but it's true."

During a Feb. 7 appearance on Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter's podcast, the former MVP passer discussed the Panthers' team environment after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft.

"I went into a locker room of losers," Newton said. "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."

His comments weren't received well by several of his teammates in Carolina at the time, with five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. responding on social media.

Former Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn also took exception to Newton's choice of words.

"For him to say that we was losers was a slap in the face,” Munnerlyn told Joseph Person of The Athletic. “This was a team who was two years removed from playing in the NFC divisional round against the Arizona Cardinals."

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback addressed the responses that he received from his former teammates.

"I'm not specifically talking about those guys," Newton said, via ESPN. "I'm talking about the culture that was there prior to me coming into the locker room -- and it was a losers' mentality."

His arrival in Carolina did help turn the team around following a 2-14 finish in 2010, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Panthers' win total increased throughout each of Newton's first three seasons with the organization, and he helped guide them to a Super Bowl 50 appearance.

Still, it's easy to see why his comments rubbed his former teammates the wrong way. Carolina finished with a 12-4 record just two seasons before the disappointing 2-14 finish that resulted in Newton's arrival.

The signal-caller isn't backing down from his stance, though.