Washington Redskins CB Josh Norman faces looming uncertainty

The Washington Redskins signed Josh Norman to a massive contract in 2016. Now, just two years later, could the former All-Pro be on the way out?

Josh Norman came to D.C. with one goal in mind: To win. Two years have come and gone, and the Washington Redskins haven’t done much of that. Now, nearing his third year with the team, speculation is growing about how long Norman will last in the nation’s capital.

Of course, that’s all it is. Speculation. But the thought is concerning, at the very least. Norman recently turned 30 years old, and that age is the historical turning point of most standout corners’ careers. Norman doesn’t have many, if any, peak years left. But he’s due to get paid as if he’s still 25.

This isn’t to say that Norman was bad last season. He had his fair share of bad games, but for most of the year, he held his own against some significant competition. He provided the Redskins with a stable piece at the No. 1 cornerback position, and week in and week out, he competed.

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But sometimes competing isn’t enough to ensure one’s future, and there are several forces working against the Washington Redskins’ marriage with Norman.

Norman’s contract is a burden on the team, provided his decline continues, and if the Washington Redskins release him this offseason, they could save $8 million. However, they’d also incur upon themselves a dead cap penalty of $9 million. Per Matthew Paras of The Washington Times, the team could spread that penalty over the next three years, to lessen the money lost, if they release Norman after June 1.

As detailed in the embedded tweet above, Norman was clearly frustrated at the end of the 2017 season, and if relations have soured enough between the aging cornerback and the team’s front office, it wouldn’t be completely unexpected to see this team, a team famous for its impatience, to cut ties with Josh Norman and cut their monetary losses.

But remember… it’s only speculation.

Norman wants to win. And now that the team has a clear future at the quarterback position, perhaps Norman will be willing to buy into the new, albeit fragile hope.

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Norman won’t be able to succeed alone. The team will need to consider re-signing Bashaud Breeland, as well as shoring up the position further. But Norman, an experienced, energetic cornerback, provides more value than visual stats. As one of the few holdovers from 2017, Norman will quickly be called upon to succeed in 2018. His future is far from certain. But we can use our reason, and our past experiences, to determine what might happen.