Since signing a five-year deal worth $75 million with the Washington Redskins in 2016, cornerback Josh Norman has been viewed in a magnifying glass. Once viewed as one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL, Norman has not been anything special while with the Redskins.
While Norman has been solid in his time in the burgundy and gold, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said the team is looking for more out of No. 24.
“As far as his play for the whole season is concerned, it’s a solid starting cornerback play,” Gruden said per Craig Hoffman of 106.7 the Fan. “Now we’re looking for more from Josh and he’s gonna give us more because we’re gonna demand more. We’re looking for superstar status.”
Norman was the 50th-rated cornerback in the NFL in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a far cry from his 2015 grade when he was tied for third-best in the league.
Norman’s play goes beyond the numbers, but the Redskins didn’t pay for solid or average. They paid for a superstar. Going into this off-season there was chatter the 31-year old could be a cap casualty. That appears to be put on the table for now.
“To say he’s performed as the best CB in the NFL would be far fetched, but I will say this: I’m glad we got him,” Gruden added per Hoffman.
The Redskins have a young core at cornerback outside of Norman that includes Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau, and Greg Stroman — a solid trio to complement Norman. Now it’s up to Norman to rekindle the spectacular play that earned him the moniker of being one of the best in the league and the hefty contract the Redskins jumped to sign him to.
“I think not having Josh Norman, our team would be not quite as competitive as we have been with Josh Norman.” Gruden stated per Hoffman. “I think moving forward having Josh Norman on this roster is going to help us get where we want to go.”
