Four players have already signed their franchise tags, but Panthers cornerback Josh Norman is in no rush to be the fifth.
Norman told the Charlotte Observer that he wants a long-term contract and isn’t particularly interested in signing the one-year, $13.952 million contract that comes with the franchise tag.
“I’m comfortable where I’m at. Trust and believe,” Norman said. “If I’ve waited this long I can wait on them some more. I got no problem waiting. Waiting got me where I need to be at the end of the day. Trust me: waiting is my specialty.”
The Panthers made Norman an offer of about $7 million a year last year, but he decided to bet on himself and hit free agency. That turned out to be a wise move, as he’s slated to get more than twice as much money this year.
“I’m talking about a number that defines and displays what I do each and every day; the work that I put in on the football field,” Norman said. “Now, we’re not talking about the work I put in on the practice field. That work is just extra. We’re not even talking about that. You don’t even have to put that in. But on Sundays? That is the work. That’s what we do. And that demands a certain number. People pay to see that. People pay to see the show. Why am I any different than someone else when I’m trying to get mine? I’m not.”
And if the Panthers don’t give Norman the kind of offer he’s looking for, he’ll wait.