Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton described his awkward interaction with Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders as "contentious," revealing that it appeared to stem from a misunderstanding between the two.
A clip of the two players speaking before a Colorado game went viral on social media this week and showed Newton receiving a frosty welcome from Sanders, who added, "You be on that weird s--- bro."
Newton addressed the interaction during a recent episode of his podcast "4th & 1," admitting the incident was as tense as it appeared.
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"It was contentious. It was a little awkward, not only with Shedeur, but also with Travis [Hunter]. I’m not going to be like ‘Oh the media making this out to be.' It was little, 'Wait, hold up, wait what? You beefing with me? I’m not beefing with you.’ I don’t feel a certain type of way. I’ve always been a fan. Make no mistake about it."
The former Carolina Panthers quarterback said the two spoke, and without detailing what was said, Newton opened up the dynamics between the two.
"I think to protect our conversation — and I think I need to and will be obedient to that — I think the difference between this age of athletes versus the age of athletes, even when I was playing, is so direct to consumer where, and I even shared this with Shedeur. I said, ‘Bro, there’s a lot of support for you and your father and even Colorado. You don’t see that because people don’t naturally dwell on the good.’"
COLORADO'S SHEDEUR SANDERS HAS AWKWARD MOMENT WITH EX-NFL STAR: 'YOU BE ON THAT WEIRD S---'
He added that he wasn’t aware there was a "misunderstanding" until he spoke to coach Deion Sanders. Newton seemed to suggest it might have stemmed from comments he’s previously made about Sanders.
"They’re reading the type of content you like or that catches your attention, and I think it’s not a misunderstanding more so than there needs to be. He needs to understand that this is the big leagues now. But I also have to understand this. I have more power than I give myself sometimes. So, let me not hold myself accountable too. But I will say this, I owe a due diligence to myself, the fans of this show and my fans overall to hold people in sports as a whole accountable."
Newton described Shedeur as a "top 10 draft pick."
"There’s no question about that, and I think, with our conversation, we were able to discuss like, ‘Bro, I know more than people give you credit for.’"
Sanders leads the nation in touchdown passes with 14 and has a completion percentage at 70.1%. He has thrown for 1,630 yards.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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