Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passed on the opportunity to respond to Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the days leading up to Thursday’s preseason game between the teams, but he took his chance to do so during pregame warmups.
Benjamin wasn’t as willing to listen. Newton approached his former teammate while Benjamin was chatting with Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, who “walked away to allow them the opportunity to talk things out.” As captured on video by Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, Benjamin showed little interest in listening to what Newton had to say and said after the game that he didn’t know what Newton was trying to say.
“I wasn’t even trying to listen,” Benjamin said, via the Panthers website.
Benjamin said he’s “moving on” after saying in a recent interview that he didn’t feel a good fit with the Panthers and that he would have had more success “if you would’ve put me with any other quarterback.” Newton, who said he wouldn’t go back and forth with Benjamin in his only public response, didn’t talk to reporters after the game.