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Ron Rivera Breaks Silence on Cam Newton's 'Loser' Comment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 1:26 PM ET

When he arrived in Carolina to be the head coach of the Panthers back in 2011, there were a few things Ron Rivera had going for him. But none was as important as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, which he and the team would use on star Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

There were a pair of players who would retire as franchise icons, receiver Steve Smith and running back Jonathan Stewart, but the team was lacking at quarterback and defensively. That's why they had the No. 1 pick (a 2-14 record to earn that honor), and why Rivera was brought in as coach.

Newton stirred up controversy this month when he looked back on those days, appearing on Travis Hunter's podcast. He told the Colorado star: “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."

The Panthers went 6-10 in the first year of the Rivera-Newton combo, and 12-4 the following year. By 2015, the Panthers went 15-1 and were in the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Broncos.

But the "losers" comment stuck with many of Newton's ex-teammates, who accused him of grandstanding in the interest of his own media career.

Rivera had not spoken about it until this week, in an interview with The Athletic's Joe Person.

"Sometimes things are better left unsaid," Rivera said. "And I’d loved to have seen him be a little more diplomatic. Just because a lot of those guys on that 2010 team became some of those guys that went to the Super Bowl in 2015. It’s unfortunate he made the comments and now he’s just gotta live with them and own up."

Newton has addressed the comments, but stood by them, saying on his own podcast, "When did we become so sensitive? When did we become so sensitive to really speaking what the reality is? A locker room full of losers? Aggressive, but it’s true.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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