Could This Be Josh Norman's Last Game as a Panther?
There's been a lot of excitement surrounding the Carolina Panthers' organization over the past month or so and that won't come to an end just because the playoffs are now officially out of reach.
Last week, the Panthers brought back cornerback Josh Norman, who was a fixture in Carolina's secondary during their Super Bowl run back in 2015. Due to Jaycee Horn breaking his wrist, interim head coach Steve Wilks wanted to add someone to the room who was cut from the same cloth, so to speak, and knew the Panther way.
Norman spent the entire season working in a coffee shop, so no, he wasn't ready to see serious game action. Even with C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr. struggling to contain Mike Evans, Wilks felt it would have been unfair to not only Norman but the team to throw him into a situation he just simply wasn't ready for.
He appeared in just 10 defensive snaps and did not record any stats.
The playoffs may be out of the picture, but that doesn't mean we won't see Norman play more of an expanded role this week. In fact, interim defensive coordinator Al Holcomb believes he's better prepared to be more of a factor in Week 18 against the Saints.
"I do. I think another week of preparation, conditioning, and all of those things in our system...he's more equipped this week to help us and play more reps for us this week."
That said, the coaching staff still plans to keep him on a pitch count of sorts, playing him no more than roughly 25 plays. With the future of this current coaching staff uncertain, this could mean this will be the last game we see Josh Norman in a Carolina Panthers uniform.
Earlier this week, Holcomb was asked if he and the current staff were retained if he would want to bring Norman back.
"I love Josh. I love his demeanor. I love the way he plays the game. I love his approach. His study habits. What he brings to the defensive back room just in terms of leadership and all of those things. We'll see at the end of the season. That's not really my place right now. But obviously, I love Josh and think he adds value to us."
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