Cam Newton certainly knows what it’s like to get attention.
As a magical performer on the football field and an outspoken celebrity off it, Newton was among the biggest sensations ever to pass through the NFL.
So when he sees Anthony Richardson not giving his all and minimizing what it takes to be great in the NFL, he gets hot.
The media critiqued Richardson all week for checking out of the tight divisional game after several scrambles left him winded. After he admitted that he asked out of the game because he was tired, the Colts benched him indefinitely.
In an appearance on First Take before the Indianapolis Colts take the field with Joe Flacco instead of Richardson, Newton offered a warning.
“Everybody has this false perception that the NFL is easy,” he said. “They have this entitlement that looms over them as if to say, ‘you’re not playing with grown-a** men.’ I see the situation with Anthony Richardson, and to say I’m disappointed is to say the least.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH3aQzKjKns
The former Carolina Panthers quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick said his concerns about Richardson actually began last offseason, after Richardson’s rookie year.
“I think the thing that kind of ticked me off most is in the offseason, he does an interview and there’s a quote that says, it’s easier to play in the NFL than in college. You don’t say that,” Newton explained. “There’s an unspoken word that however you feel … you are a CEO of the franchise, of the city. You impact so much. So doing those things like that, it’s like, you’re not that guy yet, pal.”
The situation is personal for Newton. In addition to being outspoken and successful, he has a major regret from a high-profile moment just like Richardson likely does after “tapping out” of the Colts’ Week 8 loss to Houston in the third quarter.
In Super Bowl 50, Newton infamously chose not to dive on a fumble. Not only did Carolina go on to lose the game, but the blatant choice Newton made lives on online. Fans use it to troll him constantly.
“I can’t post an Instagram post, a TikTok, or even a Twitter post without somebody mentioning that. Anthony Richardson, you have now given so many people ammunition to shoot back at you. Don’t do that Not like that,” Newton said. “If I had known what I know now, I would have torn every ligament in my leg trying to jump on that doggone fumble, knowing what I know now. You don’t just get to come into a league and just take these things for granted. And it comes back to the word immaturity.”
Newton continued to speak directly to Richardson, telling the young signal-caller that these moments are where players earn their stripes. When a star player is exhausted and in pain, Newton believes that’s when they show their teammates they can “fight.”
If anything will get through to Richardson, it’s probably this.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.