Josh Norman wanted to sign Panthers tender, but it was too late
This Josh Norman thing remains a strange deal. Some new details have emerged that make it a little weirder.
The former Carolina Panthers franchise cornerback, who is now a member of the Washington Redskins, was franchise tagged before he had that offer rescinded by general manager Dave Gettleman. Few people still can understand exactly what happened there, or why Gettleman would allow Norman to walk freely.
And yet before Norman signed with the Redskins, he tried to sign the Panthers’ non-exclusive franchise tender offer for one year, $13.95 million, according to the Washington Post. By that point, however, it was too late. After firing agent Mike George, Norman tried to go back to the Panthers to see if he could sign the tender.
By that point, the barn door had been shut. It was too late, as the paperwork already had been filed with the league. In addition, the Panthers indicated they would not be negotiating with Norman further, and it felt like a giant mistake on their behalf.
All of this indicated something beyond business, beyond the fact that Gettleman said there was too big a financial impasse between the reported numbers thrown around. Norman’s agent reportedly was seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $16 million per year, while Gettleman’s final long-term offer was four year for $44 million.
According to the Post report, it sounded as if neither Norman nor some Panthers coaches had any idea what was going on in the hectic final few hours last Friday when the offer was rescinded. Did this go beyond football? Was it personal?
In theory, Norman won out in the end. He got more money from the Redskins than he likely would have gotten from the Panthers. Soon after, Norman signed a five-year deal with the Redskins worth at least $36.5 million in guarantees. That made everything final, yet there still remains this “how did this all happen?” element to it.
The Super Bowl runners-up still have a strong defense without their best cornerback, but there’s a strange aftertaste surrounding Norman’s exit — on both ends.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
