Not much has gone wrong for Panthers cornerback Josh Norman this season.
Norman was named the NFC defensive player of the month for September after intercepting two passes and returning one for a touchdown during Carolina’s 3-0 start to the season and he kept up the good work as they moved to 4-0 on Sunday. Norman intercepted Jameis Winston twice in the 37-23 win over the Buccaneers and returned one for a touchdown that he celebrated by pretending to ride the football like it was one of the horses he raises when away from the field.
Norman drew a flag for that celebration for using the football as a prop, which came as a surprise because he’s done it before without being penalized. He also said Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, who serves as a fine appeal officer appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, told him it wouldn’t draw a penalty.
“He said I was fine,” Norman said, via ESPN.com. “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have never did it. ... Yeah, it’s kind of crazy. Guess we’re just going to have to keep putting more money in our savings account.”
The good news for Norman is that he’s headed toward free agency while playing corner at a very high level. That should leave him with a well-funded savings account whether the Panthers or someone else is depositing the money.