Cam Newton defends Shedeur Sanders amid scrutiny with Browns, controversial media tactics

Cam Newton knows firsthand what it’s like to live under the microscope as an NFL quarterback. The former league MVP recently spoke out about Shedeur Sanders, who’s been the subject of heavy discussion for his behavior during his early days with the Cleveland Browns.

Newton drew from his own experience after losing the Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers. The former Auburn Tigers star highlighted how in your words and actions with the media, emotions can often spiral out of control.

“I’ll give you a blast from the past real quick. After playing in the Super Bowl — arguably the biggest game in all of sports — you’re asked questions in the moment. You’re frustrated, you don’t even know how your emotions are going to be interpreted,” Newton stated, via First Take. “For me, I didn’t handle it in the most professional way.

“Some said it was immature, some said it wasn’t right. But I’ll say this: I deserved the ridicule. I knew who I was, I knew how I was supposed to handle that situation — and I was the starting quarterback.”

For Newton, that perspective makes him more sympathetic to what Sanders is navigating now. He explained why he feels that.

“Anytime people talk about Shedeur Sanders, there’s always this pretense. It sounds like, ‘Hey, I’m a Shedeur Sanders fan, but…’ And I’ll give you another analogy,” Newton said. “Anytime someone starts by saying, ‘I don’t mean to be disrespectful,’ usually they’re about to say something disrespectful.

“So when people say certain things about Shedeur Sanders, how’s he supposed to go about it? Especially when I’ve said it publicly — I don’t think the Cleveland Browns really want him to succeed. Now you’re giving a mic to a third-string quarterback.”

Newton noted that most casual fans couldn’t even name the third-string quarterback on their favorite team, which makes the spotlight on Sanders unusual. It’s an added pressure that most players trying to find their footing in the NFL don’t usually face.

“I’d challenge anyone to name all 32 teams’ third-string quarterbacks,” the ESPN analyst exclaimed. “Matter of fact, just give me one from your division. You can’t. It’s irrelevant. We’re only talking about this because it’s Shedeur Sanders.

“When are we going to realize you can’t control people? Some of the same things people criticize Shedeur for are the same things people love about a guy like Jaxson Dart. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.”

Boiling it down, Newton pointed to parallels with how his own personality and style were once criticized in a similar fashion.

“I wasn’t always the fan favorite. Why’s Cam wearing those hats? Why’s he dressing like that? Why’s he sulking under a towel? Why’d he walk off? Those same things people picked apart are the same things I’m seeing play out now with Shedeur in Cleveland,” the 36-year-old delineated.

In the end, Newton sees Sanders’ situation as a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario. Where he goes from here remains to be seen, but the media will follow — Newton’s in his corner, though, for now at least.

“If Shedeur was the starting quarterback making these antics, yeah, I’d feel a certain way. But he’s the third-string quarterback,” Newton said. “Still the third-string quarterback, especially with Dillon Gabriel in the mix. So damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

“What he’s been able to do is say, ‘I can only do what I can do, what I’m allowed to do.’ And that’s what we’re seeing play out.”