Panthers great Thomas Davis clears the air over perceived Cam Newton snub

Carolina's three-time Pro Bowl linebacker tells fans trying to create controversy exactly what they can do.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 26: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) hugs Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Thomas Davis (58) prior to the National Football League game between the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers on November 26, 2017, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. / (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Controversy! Drama! Back-biting! These are the things that follow long-struggling NFL franchises, no matter how well they may be doing in the standings from week-to-week. These Carolina Panthers are no strangers to that dynamic, as perhaps no other NFL team outside of the New York Jets has had more off-the-field nonsense to deal with in the modern era.

The latest kerfuffle has to do with former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who admitted to feeling left out in his most recent podcast when he wasn't included in the franchise legends group that accompanied the team on their trip to Germany last week. Luke Kuechly was there. So were Steve Smith and Julius Peppers and Thomas Davis.

While there's some uncertainty over Newton's status as to whether or not he's actually officially retired - because if he's technically a free agent then the Panthers not involving him in official activities would make sense. However, a lot of fans are taking Newton's perceived snub and running wild with it. Some are even claiming that Greg Olsen and Thomas Davis are in on the shade because they didn't mention Newton in their retirement speeches. Here's what TD has to say about that.

Stop the shit. Everyone knows me and Cam are A1 so don’t try to create no BS. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/96I4xGvW22

— Thomas Davis (@ThomasDavisSDTM) November 15, 2024

The legendary trash-talking that went back and forth between these two at Carolina's practices helped mold the roster into the sharp iron weapon that went all the way to the Super Bowl in 2015. It's silly to think that Davis and other team legends would intentionally diss Newton by leaving him out - when any fool who can see knows Cam carried that offense on his back - with a little help from Greg Olsen along the way.

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