For the second time in as many years, the Carolina Panthers are warming the cockles with a good ol’ reunion.
Buy Panthers TicketsOn Monday, the team officially signed cornerback Josh Norman to their practice squad. With starter Jaycee Horn set to undergo surgery on his broken wrist tomorrow and the defense searching for secondary depth, the now born-again Panther was brought in for a workout this afternoon.
During his media availability earlier in the day, interim head coach Steve Wilks told reporters the move is largely about familiarity.
“When Scott [Fitterer] and I talked it today, why—he has experience in this league, he brings veteran leadership and, most importantly, I feel like he possesses our DNA,” Wilks said.
“I know him personally. He played for me. He understands the culture that we’ve tried to create here and the element of play we’re looking for.”
Norman’s first stint in Carolina lasted from 2012 to 2015, when Wilks was the defensive backs coach. That final 2015 campaign, one where the Panthers ripped off 17 wins en route to their Super Bowl 50 appearance, saw the former fifth-round pick earn First-team All-Pro honors and a fourth-place finish in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He’d proceed to sign on in Washington that offseason—where he’d spend the next four years of his career. Then, after playing nine games for Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills in 2020, Norman stuck on with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021—recording 14 starts, 49 tackles, an interception and seven forced fumbles over 15 outings.
The 35-year-old, as also stated by Wilks, is not expected to start in Week 17’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—one that can determine the fate of the NFC South. Keith Taylor Jr. is likely to get the nod.
