Joey Slye trolled Panthers and Cam Newton in savage postgame Instagram

The Washington Football Team’s clash against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday had more than just playoff implications.

Yes, Washington bolstered its standing in the NFC playoff picture, but the team also had a plethora of players returning to their former home.

The main attraction leading up to the game was Ron Rivera, the Panthers’ former head coach for nine seasons, going up against former quarterback Cam Newton, who made his first home start since he re-signed with the franchise.

Beyond Rivera, guys like Taylor Heinicke, Curtis Samuel and Joey Slye also announced their respective returns to Charlotte. While the win was special for every former Panther, it meant a little extra to Slye.

Why do we say that? The newly-minted Washington took to Instagram after the game and trolled Carolina (and Cam Newton) with a savage caption.

Washington kicker Joey Slye balled out in his return to Carolina

And thus, Slye became a Washington football legend.

It’s not often a player is capable of trolling two different entities in one caption — let alone two words — but Slye managed to do just that here.

Of course, Slye was referencing Newton’s celebration after he scored a rushing touchdown on his first snap back with the Panthers in Week 10. The former MVP ripped off his helmet and shouted “I’M BACK” in front of the hostile crowd at State Farm Stadium. Carolina would go on to defeat the Cardinals 34-10.

On the other side, Slye also wanted to send a message to the Panthers, with whom he spent the first two-plus years of his career. For those unaware, Slye lost the preseason competition to Ryan Santoso and was cut in late August.

After filling in as an injury replacement for Houston and San Francisco, Slye landed on his feet in Landover. The rest, as they say, is history. In two games with the Burgundy and Gold, Slye is a perfect 10-for-10 on kicks.

Slye’s postgame Instagram is just a perfect reminder that professional athletes are human beings with real feelings. Despite being paid millions to play a game, they take being released, cut and traded personally. Who wouldn’t?

Luckily for the former Virginia Tech star, he was put in a position to get a swift dose of revenge on the Panthers, and he came through.

On top of drilling all three of his extra-points, he broke a 21-21 deadlock with a 36-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter and added another FG with 1:50 remaining to give Washington a 27-21 lead.

Slye had already won over the fan base after his first two games for Washington, but it’s safe to say he’s well on his way to becoming a fan favorite after he dunked on Newton and the entire Panthers organization.