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Cam Ward issues blunt warning to NFL teams that pass over him draft

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward has a message for any NFL teams that pass over him in this year’s draft: “I’ll remember that.”

Ward, who has been the subject of harsh criticism for his decision not to play in the second half of Miami’s loss to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in December, offered a blunt message to NFL teams that might question his dedication as a result of that decision.

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward looks up at the scoreboard during the Iowa State Cyclones game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 28, 2024. (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)

“OK, you’re either going to draft me or you’re not,” Ward said Monday, via The Associated Press.

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“If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.”

Ward defended his decision not to play in the second half of the 42-41 loss, adding that it was predetermined.

“I just think we all got what we needed out of it. They seen things that they think they need to work on… for this season coming up. And they also knew, you know, what I had on the line,” he said.

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward drops back to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Hyundai Field in Atlanta on Nov. 9, 2024. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

MIAMI COACH PUSHES BACK ON ‘BULLS—‘ NARRATIVE CAM WARD QUIT ON HIS TEAM AFTER SETTING TOUCHDOWN RECORD

“We feel like we’re doing what’s best for the program and myself. I mean, it was a hard decision, especially when, you know, some guys on our team didn’t play who I thought should have played. It was also, you know, those guys thought about their future the same way I thought about mine.”

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal called the narrative that Ward quit “false.”

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward on from the field after the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Ward is one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. The winner of the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award, Ward moves on to the NFL after finishing his college career with 18,189 passing yards and 158 touchdowns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 18, 2025
Former Panthers star Cam Newton refuses to back down from ‘locker room of losers’ comments

Cam Newton, who spent the majority of his 11-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers, is not backing down from his recent criticism of his former teammates.

Newton was the first overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft and said when he arrived in Carolina he entered a locker room of “losers.”

The 2015 NFL MVP acknowledged his remarks were “aggressive,” but he remained steadfast in his position that they were “true.”

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Cam Newton at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl party at Marquee Dayclub Las Vegas at The Cosmopolitan Feb. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

“When did we become so sensitive,” the former NFL star said this week during the “4th&1 with Cam Newton” podcast. “When did we become so sensitive to really speaking what the reality is? A locker room full of losers? Aggressive, but it’s true.”

STEVE SMITH SR. FIRES BACK AT CAM NEWTON FOR CALLING PANTHERS ‘LOSERS’

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback made the initial comments during an interview with Colorado football star Travis Hunter.

Newton told Hunter he has “no way of impacting the game the way a quarterback does.”

“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.”

Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is projected to be one of the first players selected in April’s draft. Newton was offering Hunter some insight into the pressure the two-way player could face if he becomes this year’s No. 1 pick.

One of Newton’s former teammates, Steve Smith, took exception to the quarterback’s comments.

“53 man locker room – 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,” Smith wrote on X with an angry emoji.

The Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, left, and Cam Newton share a laugh during the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Aug. 29, 2013, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)

A few hours later, Smith posted, “I’ve watched & listened from a far as U @CameronNewton talk about @Panthers! None of us are perfect. Yes We were 2-14 before you blessed us w ur presence. The way you have talked about @panthers lately I’m very disappointed. I wish u nothing but the very best. I’m done!!!”

Smith played for the Panthers from 2001-13 and is the most productive receiver to wear a Panthers uniform. He is also a finalist for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Newton said he has “no quarrel” with Smith and understands why he had an issue with the remarks. Newton did clarify that he was referencing the Panthers’ performance as a whole and not individual players when he made the original comments.

“I’m not specifically talking about those guys,” Newton said. “I’m talking about the culture that was there prior to me coming into the locker room. And it was a losers’ mentality.”

Cam Newton (1) of the Carolina Panthers drops back to pass during the fourth quarter of a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium Dec. 12, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)

Newton said the Panthers still had it his first two seasons when they went 6-10 and 7-9.

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Things started to come together in 2013, when Carolina went 12-4 before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. The 2015 team went 15-1 and earned a spot in the Super Bowl. Carolina came up short in that game, losing 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.

“Is it me saying that, ‘Oh when I came, I made everything (better)?’” he said. “No. I never said that. What I said was, ‘If you’re getting drafted No. 1, you’re going to a bad football team.’ That’s facts. And that’s the point that I was trying to tell Travis Hunter.

“You see what I’m saying? For me, everybody is so taken aback, like, ‘Oh, Cam said this.’ Bro, it’s the truth. It’s the truth.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 16, 2025
Ex-Panthers star Steve Smith Sr fires back at Cam Newton over ‘locker room of losers’ remark

Former Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith Sr. came to the defense of his former teammates on Tuesday after Cam Newton described the players as “losers” before the quarterback got there.

The Panthers selected Smith in the third round of the 2001 draft. Ten years later, the Panthers found their franchise quarterback in Newton with the No. 1 overall pick. Carolina had been to the playoffs three times, including making a Super Bowl appearance, before Newton was selected.

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Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, share a laugh during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)

Carolina was 2-14 in 2010, which landed the team the No. 1 overall pick. Newton came in and eventually helped improve the team to division winners. They made Super Bowl 50 – only to lose to the Denver Broncos. Smith left the team after the 2013 season.

Newton’s “losers” remark came during an “Overtime” podcast interview when asked what type of pressures Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter may face upon entering the league.

“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.

“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.”

EAGLES’ MILTON WILLIAMS SAYS CHATTER ABOUT CHIEFS’ PURSUIT OF THIRD STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL TITLE FUELED PHILLY

Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, celebrate Smith’s touchdown catch against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)

The remark did not sit well with Smith.

“53 man locker room – 1 = 52 losers. Wow… breaking news to 89,” he wrote in an initial post on X.

“I’ve watched & listened from a far as U @CameronNewton talk about @Panthers! None of us are perfect. Yes We were 2-14 before you blessed us w ur presence. The way you have talked about @panthers lately I’m very disappointed. I wish u nothing but the very best. I’m done!!!”

One fan pointed out Smith had been critical of the Panthers in the past.

“I’ve never backed down from my words,” he said in response. “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.”

Squabbling over the past is far from what the Panthers organization needs to hear from its most famous alumni.

Carolina has not had a winning season since 2017. It was also the last time they made the playoffs. Since then, the team has had five head coaches with three interim head coaches.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, #1, on the sidelines in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 2, 2022. (Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

The Panthers were 5-12 in 2024, an improvement from their 2-15 season in 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 12, 2025
Cam Jordan explains why Saints’ head coaching job should be considered attractive

NEW ORLEANS – There’s just one more team in the NFL searching for a head coach, and it happens to be based in the host city for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

It’s an exciting week to be in New Orleans, but the Saints have yet to make an official head coaching hire, making them the only team in the NFL without a leader.

Several other teams searching for a head coach have locked in their guy, including the Chicago Bears (Ben Johnson), New York Jets (Aaron Glenn), Jacksonville Jaguars (Liam Coen) and even the Dallas Cowboys (Brian Schottenheimer).

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Cameron Jordan on the NFL Network set on Radio Row at the Super Bowl media center. (Imagn)

Many observers have suggested the Saints job may not be considered attractive to the top head coaching candidates.

Don’t tell veteran edge rusher Cam Jordan that.

Jordan, riding along Radio Row on his Segway GT3 Pro, rattled off teammates’ names to explain just how potent a team the Saints could be with the right leader next season.

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“You look at the Saints, and you think about guys like Rashid Shaheed. You talk about Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara. You look at the gambit of weapons you have on offense, and you say, ‘Well, that could be a potent offense,’” Jordan explained.

“You look at the defensive side. You have Demario Davis, you got me, you got Carl Granderson, you got Khalen Saunders, Bryan Bresee. You got safeties like Tyrann Mathieu. You got Will Harris. You got so many guys that have potential here.

“All you’re missing is a head coach, a DC and an OC, and then you can fill out the rest.”

There is significant buzz suggesting Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore could accept the job once the Super Bowl is over. Moore, an offensive-minded coach and a former quarterback in the NFL, has interviewed multiple times with New Orleans.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan does the “Who Dat?” chant before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)

The Saints’ job, though, is one that isn’t as sexy as, say, the Bears were. A young quarterback with high-powered offensive weapons and a strong defensive corps was a no-brainer for Johnson when he moved on from the Lions.

However, Jordan thinks his roster can compete with any team in the league, and the Saints’ 5-12 record this season doesn’t reflect their potential. After all, they were considered playoff favorites after Week 2 when they crushed the Cowboys to move to 2-0 after routing the Carolina Panthers to open the season.

But when the injury bug hit the Big Easy, the Saints weren’t able to keep pace, and they started to skid.

“Chris [Olave] goes down, Eric McCoy goes down, our Pro Bowl center, our guards go down,” Jordan said. “When I think about everybody that we had that went down this year, you look around at our 22 starters on offense and defense. It was like you’re starting seven or eight of them? And four of them were on the defensive line. It felt like our defensive line were the only people impervious of getting injured.

“So, you look at that potential alone, and that tells you all you need to know.”

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. ( Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)

ROLLING AROUND IN STYLE WITH SEGWAY

Jordan was basically the mayor of Radio Row this week. The Saints fan favorite was someone everyone wanted to speak to.

But the little kid inside Jordan couldn’t resist moving around Radio Row from space to space on his Segway GT3 Pro.

Jordan was in walk mode on his scooter, but he let it loose when he wasn’t doing interviews with sport and race mode, which the Saints star says is a ton of fun.

Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

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“When we’re up to top speed — I’ve been behind Radio Row — I’ve seen it hit 48 mph. It goes 50 mph.

“We all know that Segway is the No. 1 electric scooter brand in the world, but what I’m more excited about is me being in Radio Row to have the opportunity to almost hit people while going fast, while making them impressed with this wonderful Segway.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 8, 2025
Former NFL star Cam Newton says he wouldn’t trade MVP award for Super Bowl win

Former NFL star quarterback Cam Newton knows his take isn’t popular, but said it anyway.

Stephen A. Smith asked Newton if he would trade his 2015 NFL MVP award for a Super Bowl win during ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday.

“No,” Newton promptly responded.

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Former Auburn and NFL star Cam Newton stands on the sidelines during the Cricket Celebration Bowl game between Florida A&M University and Howard University at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 16, 2023. (IMAGN)

“Really? Wow,” Smith said, surprised by Newton’s response.

Newton posed a question to help explain his unexpected answer.

“Because you have to ask it through this lens. That was a very journalistic viewpoint/vantage point, response Stephen A. I’ll ask you this question, and just to pose this thought: what’s more important, impact or championships?” Newton said.

“You look at a guy like Allen Iverson, ‘You stood up on the table and rararara,’ everybody is not going to be Michael Jordan, everybody is not going to be Patrick Mahomes, everybody is not going to be those individuals who have the luxury of saying, ‘Hey, I not only dominated this sport, but I also have championships to back it.’”

Newton won the MVP award in 2015 when he led the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 regular season record and went all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Denver Broncos 24-10.

To further support his argument, Newton then began to cite quarterbacks who weren’t MVP-caliber players but won the Super Bowl.

“Like, let me remind you, Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl, respectfully, Nick Foles won a Super Bowl. So, yes, when you look at those guys, and you say what’s more important, would you have preferred to win a Super Bowl?” Newton said.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton yells “I’m back!” after scoring a rushing touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in a game in 2021. (IMAGN)

“I think that that’s the humble approach, but if we’re being honest, the impact of you holding yourself accountable is to say everybody has a responsibility to do. And you can say as an MVP award winner or an All-American, you’ve held yourself or you’ve held your end of the bargain down.”

For Newton, he said he would prefer the MVP award to the Super Bowl because it told him that he did his job.

“And that’s what it really comes down to for me, I know that’s not the popular pick, I’m not trying to be popularized. But my take is, I’m taking individual success because I did my job. Football is not about one guy trying to do 11 jobs, it’s 11 guys doing one job and if everybody does their job best, famous words of our coach Belichick: ‘Just do your job.’”

If the Panthers had won Super Bowl L against the Broncos, Newton would have joined an exclusive list of quarterbacks to win both the MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season.

For Newton, he would prefer to keep the MVP instead of winning the Super Bowl.

Mahomes and Jalen Hurts are playing in Super Bowl LIX, but neither of them is up for the MVP award this season.

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Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

In 2022, however, Mahomes won the MVP and the Super Bowl, while Hurts was the runner-up in the MVP race and lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs.

The Chiefs will take on the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 9 on FOX.

FOX’s coverage of Super Bowl LIX will begin at 1 p.m. ET. Coverage can also be streamed live on Tubi for the first time ever.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Police body cam video shows Chilean migrants arrested in connection with Bengals’ Joe Burrow home burglary

Ohio State Highway Patrol have released dash cam footage showing a traffic stop and the eventual arrest of four men. The men are suspects in the December robbery of an Ohio home owned by Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was competing against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas when the home invasion took place. Olivia Ponton, a model and social media influencer who was identified as Burrow’s employee in the incident report, was at the home at the time of the incident. But, no one was injured during the break-in.

However, Burrow’s house was rifled through, per a report from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

The four suspects, who were described as Chilean nationals, were arrested following “an ongoing investigation involving burglaries of multimillion-dollar homes in multiple states,” according to WLWT-TV, citing court documents.

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Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on before kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 8, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Sergio Cabello, Bastian Morales, Jordan Sanchez and Alexander Chavez were arrested in Clark County after being pulled over by Ohio State Highway Patrol on Jan. 10, documents showed.

“All four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstaying their permissions,” the arrest report read, as all the men provided fake IDs.

JOE BURROW BREAKS SILENCE ABOUT HOME BURGLARY, SAYS ‘LACK OF PRIVACY’ IS ‘DIFFICULT…TO DEAL WITH’

Court documents added that authorities found “an old LSU shirt and Bengals hat, believed to be stolen from the December 9, 2024 burglary in Hamilton County, Ohio.” Burrow’s played college football at LSU and currently resides in Hamilton County.

The search of the vehicle the suspects were in also discovered “two Husky automatic center punch tools wrapped in a cloth towel.” The tool has been used by the South American Theft Group, according to authorities.

The four suspects face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, participation in a criminal gang, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business.

Ponton called her mother Diane Ponton, and then 911 was contacted as the break-in was happening, deputies reported.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrates after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

“Someone is trying to break into the house right now,” Diane Ponton was heard saying on the recorded 911 call. “My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow’s house. She is staying there. He’s at the football game. She’s wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding or if she should go outside.”

Burrow broke his silence a few days after the incident occurred, saying the situation left him feeling “violated.”

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow rolls out to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

“So obviously everybody has heard what has happened. I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one. And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share, so that’s all I got to say about that,” Burrow said during a scheduled media availablilty in December.

“We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. And that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning. But I understand it’s the life that we choose. Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”

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The NFL released a memo earlier this year urging players to be on high alert after homes were hit, which included Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

In November, the NBA sent a memo to team officials after Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley were victims of home invasions.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025