Washington Redskins have already started making some important decisions under the new head coach Ron Rivera. One of the latest is reportedly to release cornerback Josh Norman.
According to NFL Network, Redskins will officially announce the decision to part ways with Norman in the coming days. This move will save the team more than $12 million in cap space, which will presumably be used on another middle-tier CB and reinforcement on other positions.
Norman played 12 games in 2019, contributing with one interception and one forced fumble while adding six passes defended and 40 tackles, his lowest since his mistake-riddled 2013 season.
The Redskins were widely expected to move on from Norman due to disparity between his performances and salary, but following Rivera’s arrival, it was presumed the organization will want to take their time with such a decision. The 32-year-old has seen his best days when he played under Rivera with Carolina Panthers, managing to earn both Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections.
However, it looks like Norman’s contract was just too much to earn him a second chance under the new regime, and he will now look to start fresh somewhere else.
Josh Norman came to Washington in 2016 when he signed a five-year, $75 million deal, which made him the highest-paid CB in NFL history. It still stands as the biggest contract for a corner.
Norman, however, failed to meet the expectations after getting his money. While he provided solid numbers, he didn’t make game-changing plays and was mistake-prone. Things became so bad towards the end that Redskins benched him for the final six games of the past season.
