Panthers QB Cam Newton not surprised Steve Smith will return to Ravens

On the day Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton tweeted he’d become a father, one of Newton’s former teammates also broke news on Twitter on Wednesday. And Newton wasn’t surprised to learn that Steve Smith plans to play next year for Baltimore after his season was cut short this year by a ruptured Achilles.

“I kind of figured he would come back. I know just the competitor that he is,” Newton said. “Steve Smith is always a guy that in his eyes he would always have the last laugh.

“To go out with an injury that was unexpected and for him to be the person that battles back from a lot, he’s taken that fuel that everybody’s saying, well, he’s lost a step, especially coming off an Achilles injury. And I know he’s going to do a great job for those guys.”

Smith, who was cut after the 2013 season, is the Panthers’ all-time receiving leader and still lives in Charlotte.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Panthers QB Cam Newton not surprised Steve Smith will return to Ravens."