Cam Newton has been at the center of more than a few controversies going all the way back to his college days in Florida. Still, nothing Newton has experienced can match the furor that has surrounded Colin Kaepernick since the former San Francisco 49er superstar took a knee during the Anthem two years back to protest racial injustices in the country.
Now Kaepernick is the centerpiece of Nike's advertising campaign.
The first long-form commercial for that campaign was released Wednesday.
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It will air during the NFL opener Thursday night.
Nike kept their Kaepernick partnership secret from the NFL and many others before Monday's unveil.
He's currently fighting a collusion case against the league, claiming he's been blacklisted for his stance.
Also on Wednesday, Cam Newton was asked about Kaepernick and the ongoing national discussions.
"I've always respected the man that Colin is," he said. "I've said that since day 1."
He continued: "At the end of the day we all are entitled to our own opinion, we all have freedom of speech and can believe in any and every thing that we want to believe in. So, from man to man, I respect the hell out of him and that's pretty much all I've got to say."