NFL Rumors: Josh Norman Wants Carolina Panthers To Make Him Highest Paid Corner Back

NFL rumors are swirling around Josh Norman. He and the Carolina Panthers have been in negotiations on a long-term deal. Considering that he is now one of the best defensive players in the National Football League, Norman wants to be paid. According to Sporting News, he wants to be paid big time. Norman wants to be paid more than New York Jets corner back Darrelle Revis, long considered the best at his position. Josh wants $16 million a season from the Panthers.

Darrelle Revis averages $14 million a season on his current contract with the New York Jets. Not only does Josh Norman want more than that, he also wants the gap to be around $2 million. It’s hard to blame Norman for wanting to capitalize since he is one of the best in the NFL right now and the Carolina Panthers are playing phenomenally. Some are criticizing Norman for want that big of a gap, as a $1 million gap seems more suitable.

When the Seattle Seahawks handed Richard Sherman a $14 million salary, Patrick Peterson and the Arizona Cardinals wanted to outdo him. Rather than asking for a ton of extra money. Peterson was content with a $14.01 million salary. That gave him bragging rights over Sherman. Darrelle Revis then took it up a notch by signing with the New York Jets on a contract that paid him $14.02 a season.

An argument that the Carolina Panthers can make is that Josh Norman doesn’t have the long-term track record that Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman have. Norman has been extremely dominant against some of the top quarterbacks and wide receivers in the NFL. However, his window of success is relatively small when compared to the dominance that Revis and Sherman have displayed. Norman was on the verge of being released by the Panthers not too long ago.

Even if a long-term deal with the Carolina Panthers cannot be reached, Josh Norman is going to receive a substantial amount of money for playing next season. The Panthers will be paying him $13.95 million next season under the franchise tag if Norman decides to sign the one-year deal. As of right now, he has yet to put pen to paper. The belief is that Josh is trying to gain leverage by waiting.

In terms of the salary cap, the Carolina Panthers can definitely afford to hand a big contract to Josh Norman. Right now, they really only have two superstars on massive contracts. Cam Newton has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Same thing with Luke Kuechly at the middle linebacker position. By locking down Norman to a big deal, the Panthers will have superstars at three key positions, which should enable them to compete for a spot in the Super Bowl again.

Since they don’t want anything distracting them from getting back to the Super Bowl, the Carolina Panthers are hoping to resolve things with Josh Norman soon. Their star corner back has already mentioned that he will not be showing up for the Organized Team Activities. To keep the cohesiveness and chemistry intact, the Panthers need everyone to be on board and ready to work.

Contract negotiations happen all the time in the NFL. Sometimes, they get to the point where it seems like the two sides are going to split. Though it has happened many times before, it isn’t always the case. There’s still a chance that Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers can come to an agreement on a long-term deal that makes both sides happy. Panthers fans are hoping to see Norman on the field.