Cam Newton laid off by ESPN less than a year after contract extension in stunner

You won’t be seeing Cam Newton on ESPN anymore. As part of a round of layoffs that’s included ex-NFLer Ryan Clark and NFL Network newsbreaker Tom Pelissero, the former Panthers quarterback was also fired from ESPN on Tuesday, sources told OutKick. Newton, who spent a decade in the NFL between the Panthers and Patriots, had been a debate partner for Stephen A. Smith on “First Take” over the last two years. Cam Newton during a “First Take” episode in February 2026. Getty Images Newton signed a multi-year deal with ESPN in August 2025 to expand his role on the show. As a Shannon Sharpe’s replacement, ESPN elevated Newton to be Smith’s main Monday co-host during football season last year, the show’s highest-rated day of the week. According to ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, several layoffs are due