Stephen A. Smith appears to take weird shot at Panthers legend Cam Newton

Cam Newton appeared to get under the ESPN analyst's skin.

Feb 7, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Cam Newton on Radio Row at the Super Bowl LIX media center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cam Newton, now no longer an NFL quarterback, has turned to a media career, which is one of two prominent areas in which former athletes thrive once they retire. Newton started his own YouTube channel and has exploded in the podcast area. He's also a frequent host on First Take.

This is where he often butts heads with Stephen A. Smith, which is true of every single co-host that the show has ever had. Skip Bayless, Max Kellerman, Shannon Sharpe, and others have all argued with Smith, but that's the premise of the show. However, in a recent episode, Newton going back and forth with Smith appeared to warrant a shot at the former Carolina Panthers QB.

Cam Newton comes under fire from Stephen A. Smith

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cam Newton, Dan Orlovsky (both former NFL QBs), and Stephen A. Smith were discussing Dak Prescott's comments on the Micah Parsons trade. Newton said that he understood Parsons going after the huge contract, and he likened it to Smith getting a massive deal from ESPN.

An argument over Dak Prescott resulted in Stephen A. Smith shedding some light on how much influence he has at ESPN. pic.twitter.com/v8gqBqhjr4

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 1, 2025

That appeared to unsettle the ESPN analyst, who responded with, "No problem. There's plenty of people throughout ESPN's history I have helped get theirs. Anybody who would dare question what the h**l I just said to you on national television better beware."

The analyst specifically noted Newton, seemingly implying that the former MVP is only on the show thanks to Smith. "By the way Cam Newton, when you're doing that, you can ask the bosses themselves."

Smith continued, "Spanning my 20 years here, look at the roster. Look at the people here. Look at the diversity on the air! Trust me, I will proudly stand up on a banner and say I got a little something to do with that."

The analyst has been responsible for helping other people get in at ESPN, there's no doubt about that. He is arguably the most influential host they've ever had. However, Newton's comments about money, which seemed to simply be stating that it's perfectly acceptable to go after a big paycheck in any situation, did not sit well with Smith, who quieted the former Panthers star with his statements.

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