Cam Newton says he wasn’t invited to Germany with Panther greats: ‘My feelings hurt? Yeah’

Last weekend, the Carolina Panthers took a triumphant trip to Munich, Germany — and the team did so with many of the greatest players in franchise history along for the ride.

Thomas Davis was there. Steve Smith was there. Luke Kuechly was, too, among others.

There was one glaring absence, though. And according to that player, the absence wasn’t by choice.

Cam Newton, the best quarterback in Panthers history and one of the franchise’s all-time most impactful players, said on Thursday that the team did not invite him on the trip with the other numerous Panther legends. When asked on his YouTube show — called “4th and 1” — if he would’ve gone had he been asked, his playful personality slumped a bit:

“I guess we’ll never know,” Newton said.

Newton later added: “Did it hurt my feelings? Yeah. It did. Like (dang), bro. I gave this city everything.”

Last weekend marked only the second time in franchise history that the team played an international contest. It ended in a thrilling win over the Giants: a 20-17 overtime feat that featured a career-high showing from the team’s running back and a redemptive performance by the defense.

But the whole week was a spectacle. And former Panthers legends — and many of Newton’s former teammates — were at the center of that spectacle: Smith passed out beers at the Panthers’ official bar. Jonathan Stewart hosted live recordings of his podcast on the stage of the Panthers’ Fan Fest in the heart of Munich. Kuechly boomed the Keep Pounding drum in the second half of the game.

Newton said that in the past he hadn’t been invited to certain Panthers alumni events because the team told him it was unclear whether he was still searching for other opportunities to play in the NFL. And while he said he hasn’t retired from the game — “It don’t matter to me to officially retire,” he said — he also added that he knows he’s “played (his) last bit of football,” rendering that explanation obsolete.

He also went on to say that this isn’t the first time he’s felt excluded by the Panthers organization since hanging up his cleats and diving headlong into his media career.

“I don’t have no quarrel with (Panthers owner) David Tepper,” Newton said. “I don’t have no quarrel with nobody in the Panthers organization. I speak my mind (without bias) no matter who or what franchise it is.

“Last year, we had a 7-on-7 tournament in Charlotte. We went into the Panthers facility. And … you mean to tell me one of the greatest Panthers to ever play ain’t up nowhere? I’m talking nowhere. And who brought it to my attention? My son.”

Newton added: “A couple years ago, I had initiatives that I brought to the forefront to the Carolina Panthers. I said, ‘Yo, I’m really taking this media (stuff) serious, why don’t we give the live audience this experience: Let’s do a live Funky Friday (podcast) to the masses.’”

Newton said he proposed this media event as a vessel to talk to a bunch of his former teammates — from Davis to Smith to Greg Olsen — to simultaneously honor the 2015 team but to also set the stage for the Panthers’ future: “This could be the perfect way to pass the torch to Bryce Young. I think the fans could like that.”

He said that ultimately didn’t “get pushed through.”

Newton, the only MVP in the Panthers’ 30-year history who is credited for changing the QB position with his Superman-like ability, served two stints with the team based in Charlotte. The first started in 2011, when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Panthers and went on to lead his team to a string of successes that not only captured the city’s imagination but brought a level of national interest never before seen by the franchise. The peak of that greatness came in that 2015 season, when Newton led the team to its second Super Bowl appearance.

Newton returned to Carolina in 2021 with Matt Rhule at the helm and played six games, five of which he started. His first game, coming in goal-line situations as relief to starter PJ Walker, he scored two rushing touchdowns. The first one featured a TD celebration that’ll forever sit in Panthers lore: “I’m baaaack!”

Newton was let go at the conclusion of the 2021 season. That was around the time he launched his media career, which now features multiple ventures. Last month, the quarterback signed a deal to be a regular contributor on First Take, ESPN’s flagship morning show.

In a response to Newton’s words shared via video on X, Panthers legend Greg Olsen said that he’d love to do a media event with Newton to celebrate that 2015 team.

“Let’s put it together,” Olsen wrote. “So many stories to tell. Special group of guys who have a lot to share. Name the time and place. I’m there.”