Is Josh Norman Still a Top Cornerback in the NFL?

There has been a lot of recent chatter about Josh Norman. Much of that is centered around his massive contract that pays him an average of $15 million per season - which ranks him in the top 5 in the NFL for his position (last year he had the highest cap hit of any CB in the league).

It’s not that Norman isn’t good - he is. It’s really the debate that he’s not elite; which his current contract is playing him like he is.

Since joining the Redskins in 2016 after he unexpectedly became a free agent, Norman hasn’t really lived up to the All-Pro status he produced in Carolina.

Josh had a really solid first season in D.C., posting 67 total tackles, two forced fumbles, three interceptions, and 19 passes defended. Since then, his numbers have declined.

In 2017, he failed to record an interception, and was repeatedly beaten deep. He finished the season with just nine passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to go along with 64 tackles. He also missed two games to injury.

In 2018, Norman played in all 16 games, recording 64 tackles, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He only recorded nine passes defended for the second straight season, but did end up picking off three passes. He struggled, however, in games where he was asked to follow a team’s top receiver, if that receiver had any type of speed to his game.

Overall, Norman’s time in Washington has been filled with some up and downs. He’s still a valuable member of the Skins secondary, and is lauded for his passion and leadership, but does his salary match his production?

Those calls for Norman to be traded or released this offseason may be a bit premature, as the Redskins have a lot of youth and inexperience behind him, but given that his dead money falls off significantly in 2020, his time in D.C. may be nearing an end.