"Loser's mentality": Cam Newton fires back after ex-teammates express disappointment in former MVP

Former NFL MVP Cam Newton clapped back at his old teammates after his "loser" remarks made the rounds and rubbed some people off. Steve Smith Sr. and Charles Johnson took issue with Newton's words.

Captain Munnerlyn was more aggressive and blasted Newton during a phone interview, saying he just wants to keep getting attention.

“He wants to be relevant still. He’s in this media world where he does his podcasts and (ESPN’s) ‘First Take’ stuff, which is good. I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him,” Munnerlyn said, per The Athletic. “But I think he still says some stuff just to be relevant still. And if you know Cam, you’ve been around him for years, that’s Cam Newton.”

Cam Newton addressed this situation during the latest episode of his "4th & 1" podcast. He named several players who were there when the team wasn't performing at the best.

"A locker room full of losers, aggressive, but it’s true, I receive what Steve Smith says because of course, he takes it personal as the competitor that I know he is. He was in that locker room that was 2-14. Jonathan Stewart was in that locker room that was 2-14.

"Ryan Kalil, Jordan Gross, Thomas Davis, Jon Beason, Charles Johnson, those guys were in that locker room that was 2 – 14. I’m not specifically talking about those guys, I’m specifically talking about the culture that was there prior to me coming into the locker room, and it was a loser's mentality," Newton said.

Cam Newton made a notable impact on the Panthers franchise

The Carolina Panthers entered the 2010 NFL season looking to improve the 8-8 record they posted the prior year. Their plans failed big time, as they only won two games against 14 losses. After trading their 2009 first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers received the first overall selection the following year, which they used to draft Cam Newton.

In Newton and Ron Rivera's first season together at Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers posted a 6-10 record. They improved to 7-9 in 2012 before going 12-4 in 2013. 2014 was a rocky season (7-8-1), but they still made it to the playoffs and beat the Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round.

The 2015 season was memorable for Cam Newton and the Panthers, as they only lost one game and went all the way to the Super Bowl. However, the Denver Broncos beat them in the championship game.