I know what this title may imply. No, it is not 2016. Instead, the Carolina Panthers, in the thick of the NFC South race, are looking for cornerback depth. And they have brought in a familiar face to their practice squad- Josh Norman.
This comes after their number one corner, Jaycee Horn, broke his wrist during their win against Detroit on Saturday. Interim head coach Steve Wilks said that Horn will get surgery on Tuesday. It is unknown if Horn will be able to come back this season.
A word 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xlncxSfEid
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 26, 2022
Josh Norman has not played in the 2022 season. He last played in 2021 with the San Francisco 49ers, starting 14 games. He recorded 49 tackles, one interception, seven pass deflections, and seven forced fumbles. Norman has also played for Washington and Buffalo during his 10-year career.
Josh Norman & Carolina: A History Lesson
Although it has been years since Norman has been in a Panthers uniform, he still has connections. Specifically, the interim head coach, Steve Wilks, was Norman’s defensive backs coach throughout his career in Carolina.
Norman was with the team from 2012-16 after being drafted by the franchise as a fifth-rounder out of Coastal Carolina. He started 38 games in his Carolina Panthers career, including all 16 games in his breakout 2015 season. Norman became a household name on a Panthers team that went 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl appearance. That season, he earned both his lone Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances, and coincidentally, he was a free agent the next offseason.
⏮Panthers Rewind⏮
Josh Norman’s game-clinching INT against the Saints.
Week 3, 2015.
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) December 26, 2022
Initially, the Panthers placed Norman on the franchise tag in hopes to secure him into a long-term deal. However, Norman and then-general manager Dave Gettleman were at an impasse, and Norman was rumored to begin a holdout. Then the Panthers made a shocking decision.
Carolina rescinded Norman’s franchise tag, allowing an All-Pro corner to enter the open market just one week before the draft. Norman cashed out with Washington, signing a five-year, $75 million contract. The Panthers, now without their best defensive back from last year, drafted three cornerbacks in the 2016 draft (James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, and Zack Sanchez.)
Norman only lasted three years in Washington before being cut in 2020. Since then, he has not been on the same team for two straight seasons. Meanwhile, the Panthers have only had one winning season since that 2016 Super Bowl loss to Denver. And now due to an emergency, reconciliation is on the horizon for Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers.
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