ESPN's Ryan Clark didn't like that Cam Newton left Jalen Hurts off his list of the NFL's top 10 current quarterbacks. But once Clark brought Newton's career into the discussion, the debate turned.After Clark made his comments on "Get Up" on Monday, Newton fired back on Wednesday. Newton said he meant no harm toward Hurts and respects him as a player, but added that too many sports media people are afraid to give real opinions because of personal friendships or connections.Then, Newton got personal with Clark:"You're attacking the messenger and not attacking the message."Newton went further, criticizing Ryan Clark’s career by saying that Clark can’t be compared to him:"Second-team All-SEC? We cannot relate. Undrafted in 2002? We cannot relate. Then, you have one Pro Bowl in 2011? We cannot relate."Cam Newton shared his list of the top 10 quarterbacks for the 2025 season on Friday. The former NFL MVP said Hurts is a “great quarterback” but said it’s hard to judge his skills separately from a strong Philadelphia Eagles roster featuring A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley.Ryan Clark immediately disagreed with Newton."We have to stop allowing people to have excuses to disrespect Jalen Hurts," Newton said. "Cam recently said I was playing things safe, so let me cook for a second here, right?"There's different ways to look at it. Historically and presently, Jalen Hurts is a top 10 quarterback. ... To me, it’s proximity to the GOAT. ... Cam Newton was an MVP, and he got to the Super Bowl and he forgot to bring his (Superman) cape. When Jalen Hurts is going to the Super Bowl, he brought his cape, and he's also brought the Avengers with him."At the end of his take, Clark added:"The ring that Jalen Hurts is walking around with says top 10 to me. Tell Cam to show you his."Newton said that critics were ignoring his point and instead going after him as a person. He said people always bring up old issues like him not jumping on a fumble in the Super Bowl, and that it's unfair.Newton ended by pointing out that Hurts threw only 2,930 yards last season, which is less than Tua Tagovailoa, who played fewer games. He said he wasn’t being bitter or biased, just honest based on performance.Cam Newton was called out by Ryan Clark for comparing Jayden Daniels to Robert Griffin IIIOn his "Funky Friday" podcast, on July 5, Cam Newton said Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels might be a "one-hit wonder" like Robert Griffin III.He pointed to RGIII’s explosive rookie year, followed by a steep decline due to injuries and coaching decisions. Newton's concern is that Daniels could follow a similar trajectory if Washington mishandles his development.“There’s nobody who had the game in a chokehold like Robert Griffin III … I see that same thing happening for Jayden,” he said.On "The Pivot," Ryan Clark fired back:"Any negativity you bring – I don't care how well thought out, I don't care how much analysis, analytics or statistical input, you put into it – it's hate," Clark said on "The Pivot Podcast" (Timestamp: 37:10).On the July 16 "4th & 1" podcast, Cam Newton insisted his job as a media figure is to challenge narratives, not play it safe.