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Former Jets QB Greg McElroy on Cam Newton: ‘I think he quit on his team’

Former New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy said Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton quit on his team during Super Bowl 50.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy criticized Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s performance in Super Bowl 50, saying that the MVP “quit” during the 24–10 loss to the Denver Broncos.

McElroy, who is currently an analyst for the SEC Network, said on a SiriusXM program he co-hosts that he took issue with the way Newton handled himself on and off the field.

McElroy touched on the post-game press conference, for which Newton has received criticism for leaving early, saying that he believes it was blown out of proportion. 

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“I don’t have as much of a problem with the post game press conference as a lot of people do,” McElroy said. “I think the media, at times, feels as though they’re more important than the game itself. And you know what? If he doesn't want to partake in the press conference, then I don’t care about that. That’s fine.”

What he took bigger issue with was when Newton appeared to avoid jumping on a ball that he had fumbled.

“I have never, not one time in my life, seen a player do that, especially a quarterback,” he said. “And you know what? His teammates will look at him a little different after that, especially his teammates on the defensive side of the football.”

McElroy maintained that although he played for Alabama while Newton was at rival Auburn, their college days did not fuel his comments. He said that he currently lives in Charlotte and cheers for the Panthers.