Cam Newton has taken a step back on his Jalen Hurts take. After facing nearly two weeks of intense public heat, the former NFL MVP reversed course on Thursday on his widely criticized exclusion of Hurts from his top 10 quarterback list.Speaking on his "4th & 1" podcast, Newton acknowledged the scrutiny Hurts endures and issued an apology for how his previous remarks may have fueled it."I apologize that he got thrusted into this position where he can't even properly defend himself," Newton said."But this is the thing. He can silence everything. Keep doing what you're doing, and that's winning. Just keep winning. Keep doing your job. Whether you're a top 10 quarterback, whether you're a quarterback that benefits off of the great assets around you or not," he added.The statement came exactly 14 days after Newton’s July 17 comments ignited a flurry of criticism. At the time, he left Hurts off his top-tier quarterback list, citing the strength of the Philadelphia Eagles roster as a complicating factor in evaluating Hurts individually.Cam Newton criticized by experts for his comments on Jalen HurtsAmong the first to push back was former NFL receiver Torrey Smith, who played alongside both Cam Newton and Jalen Hurts. He argued that Hurts was being unfairly punished for having a well-constructed team."Jalen is the only qb that gets punished because he has a competent GM. Jalen does his job with what he has. Every other GM is trying to put their qb in the same situation as Jalen Hurts. Superhero ball is overrated. You can win because HE is your QB," Smith wrote on X.Others joined the conversation in the days that followed, including analysts Ryan Clark, Dan Orlovsky, and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens. Chase Senior of Chat Sports weighed in too, calling Newton "blatantly wrong" in a viral X post where he also opined that he'd take Hurts over Newton to lead a franchise.The Eagles quarterback is coming off a season that left little room for doubt. Jalen Hurts completed 68.7% of his passes for nearly 3,000 yards, tossing 18 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He added another 14 scores on the ground and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX title against the Kansas City Chiefs, earning MVP honors in the process.His postseason performance was even more surgical: a 71.4% completion rate and a passer rating north of 108 across four games.