Cam Newton claps back at Caleb Williams' critics

Former NFL MVP Cam Newton used a Thursday morning NFL Network appearance to blast those who have criticized USC's Caleb Williams for reasons unrelated to his play. 

"Being unique, we can’t be hypocrites in America," Newton said, as shared by Tzvi Machlin of The Spun. "You can’t promote, you know, land of the free and then all of a sudden when somebody does something that makes them unique, you crucify him, right? I think really for us in this profession that we’re in, Gen Z is here. And they’re here to stay. So whatever a person does personally, should just matter, personally." 

Williams has been a target of online trolls after he cried in his mother’s arms in the stands after a loss this past fall and when he appeared to sport lipstick, painted fingernails and a pink phone case at a basketball game in March. Meanwhile, some analysts voiced concerns during the predraft process about Williams' supposed "off-field" interests that allegedly could prevent him from reaching his ceiling at the highest level. 

Others insisted that LSU's Jayden Daniels will be the best quarterback in this year's draft class, partly because he "loves football" more than Williams. 

"If it starts bleeding into their plate, then that’s when you can care," Newton added. "But as I’m seeing these highlights of Williams…pink nails, red nails, the green nails, no nails. If you can play football and you can win football games in that locker room, and for that franchise, nothing else matters."

As recently as earlier this week, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles dismissed concerns that Williams may be too "Hollywood" to succeed as an NFL quarterback. After the Bears made Williams the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, he can begin responding to such critics in September. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the betting favorite at +250 odds to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for the upcoming season.