Last week, the 49ers opted not to put recently-signed cornerback Josh Norman in uniform. This week, they’ll need him.
And given that they signed him before they lost starter Jason Verrett for the full season with a torn ACL in Week One, the 49ers likely got more of a bargain than they would have gotten.
The Raiders signed Norman for a $200,000 signing bonus, a $1.1 million salary, and $200,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. That’s a far cry from the $15 million per year he made in Washington. But it’s less than what he could have tried to get if he hadn’t agreed to terms before Verrett went down.
We’ll see whether and to what extent Norman plays on Sunday. Regardless, the 49ers likely would have had to pay a lot more to get him if they hadn’t gotten him before one of their top options got knocked out.