Why the Carolina Panthers won’t bring back Josh Norman
By Luke Tucker
Over the weekend the Redskins released Josh Norman. Many fans have suggested a reunion with the Carolina Panthers.
Not even five whole years ago, Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers were on top of the world. The Panthers had just completed a 15-1 regular season, and had dominated the Seahawks and Cardinals en route to Super Bowl 50. Norman’s play and his ego had made him one of the most entertaining cornerbacks in the NFL, and he was set to get a huge payday. The Panthers and Norman both appeared to have an extremely bright future, and then in a four-hour period it was stripped away. Whether it was Cam Newton not jumping on the fumble, Mike Remmers’ inability to stop Von Miller, or the referees blowing a crucial Jerricho Cotchery catch, the future of the Carolina Panthers was suddenly in shambles.
After losing the game in humiliating fashion, things only got worse for Carolina. After failing to reach a long-term deal, the Panthers rescinded Norman’s franchise tag, and he left for a five-year, $75 million contract with Washington. Hardly two months after capturing the hearts of NFL fans across the world, the “bandwagon” fans left just as quickly as they had come, and the star cornerback was in a new city. Upon his departure, the Panthers struggled with a pair of rookie corners in 2016, and by the end of the following season, the so-called “Thieves Avenue” had completely been dismantled.
Since that magical 2015 campaign, fellow defensive stars Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Star Lotulelei, and Charles Johnson have also left. Mario Addison could be next. With that being said, the Panthers have seen the end of an era. Because of that along with some other factors, don’t expect them to put Norman back in the Black and Blue.
Norman may want more than the Panthers would be willing to pay.
At 32 years old, Josh Norman knows the business side of football. He has worked his way from a small-school stud to a fifth-round pick to an All-Pro, earned a giant contract along the way, and has now experienced being cut by an NFL team. Norman isn’t dumb, and he knows he likely won’t get but one or two more contracts. Because of that, the Greenwood, South Carolina native likely won’t be giving the Panthers any type of “hometown discount.”
Despite his well publicized struggles, though, Norman isn’t a bad player. Is he a number-one option at this point in his career? No–but he can likely still be an effective defender in the right system. As a result, someone is going to offer him a decent contract, and he’d be wise to take it. With the Panthers looking to crunch numbers this offseason, they probably won’t want to give a declining 32-year-old player $6-10 million in the middle of a rebuild. Sure, he would provide veteran leadership, but knowing how fiery and competitive Norman is, it’s unlikely that he’d want to go somewhere just to be a mentor.
Being on the back-half of his career, Norman would likely prefer to join a team ready to compete for a Super Bowl.
Seeing as though the current state of the Carolina Panthers isn’t exactly Super-Bowl caliber, Carolina isn’t exactly an ideal landing spot for a player looking to extend their career. When the Panthers hired Matt Rhule in January, he was given a seven-year deal for a reason. During his introductory press conference, the word “process” was constantly thrown around by Rhule, the ownership, and other team representatives. Those things, along with so many high-profile veteran departures, signal what is shaping up what appears to be a full-scale rebuild. With that being said, the Panthers want to bring in young talent–not aging veterans.
Cornerback James Bradberry is a borderline elite defender, but it remains in question whether or not the team will offer him the contract he wants (and quite honestly deserves). The obvious reason here is money. Bradberry won’t be a top-paid defensive back, but he will certainly be making a heap more than he has the past four years. A second reason that perhaps the team may not bring him back is due to seeking a fresh start. A clean slate. While bringing him or Norman back would undoubtedly return a familiar face, it perhaps isn’t in the team’s best long-term interest. As with Bradberry, the factors of age, performance, and monetary demands are simply just too great to commit to right now.
If Carolina was in “win-now” mode, then bringing back Norman or Bradberry would be a no-brainer. It’s still possible that Bradberry could return and be a player the Panthers build around, but it just doesn’t make sense for the team or for Norman to agree to a reunion right now. If the Panthers are playoff-caliber in a season or two and Norman is still able to play at a high-level, then by all means they should pursue him. As a fan, though, it’s unfortunate to admit that right now, it simply isn’t the time for such a homecoming.