National Football League

Steve Smith calls out Panthers GM, says team stabbed him in the back

Published Oct. 1, 2014 8:40 p.m. ET

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Smith took some parting shots at the Carolina Panthers, three days after the outspoken wide received led the Baltimore Ravens to a 38-10 win over his former team.

Smith, who spent 13 seasons in Carolina before being cut in March, called into a Charlotte radio station Wednesday and said the Panthers ''stabbed him in the back.''

Smith took direct aim at Dave Gettleman, saying on WFNZ-AM's Bustin' Loose that Carolina's second-year general manager said he was ''a shadow of the player I used to be.'' Smith said the GM said that he was ''jealous'' of quarterback Cam Newton.

''Yes, it was personal with me and Dave Gettleman,'' Smith told the station. ''Obviously, I did something that got under his skin. And, you know what? I'm not a perfect person. There are people I run into that get under my skin.''

Smith is Carolina's all-time leader in receptions, yards receiving and touchdowns.

The wide receiver said Gettleman also called him a ''nuisance'' during a conversation with his agent this offseason.

Smith said Gettleman told him the team intended to trade him and laughed off the idea of Smith taking a pay cut to stay in Carolina.

''It hurts me because the way I play it is basically a justification to try to show people, `Well, we had to get rid of him because he was a nuisance,'' Smith said.

Smith suggested he might have been too competitive for Gettleman's liking.

''Maybe I have a higher standard and I want to bring people up there with me and I expect them to work hard just like me,'' Smith said. ''Because the last (thing) I was told you're either getting better or you're getting worse.''

Gettleman did not immediately return text messages seeking comment. His policy is not to speak to the media during the season.

Smith also expressed frustration at his former coach Ron Rivera, saying he ''never even spoke to me through the whole ordeal.''

Smith had seven catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Baltimore win.

Rivera congratulated Smith after the game.

Smith said Rivera told reporters he met with him after the game ''so he can look a certain way.''

Rivera said at his press conference Wednesday that he didn't feel the need to defend himself and prefers to focus on Carolina's game Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

''I'm not going to address it,'' Rivera said. ''I have moved on and I would like to believe that we have moved on and it's time to talk about the players in this locker room.''

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