Getty Josh Norman at Bills Stadium on January 03, 2021.
The Buffalo Bills (3-2) must’ve started making calls on their flight home from London on Sunday night because they wasted no time in looking for reinforcements on defense.
On Monday, October 8, NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Buffalo was bringing back a familiar face, and signing cornerback Josh Norman. The veteran will be joining the practice squad, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The All-Pro previously played for the Bills during the 2020 NFL season. He appeared in nine games, made three starts, and recorded 24 tackles, two fumble recoveries, four passes defensed, and a pick-six. He tallied an additional six tackles and one forced fumble in three postseason games.
Originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft, the 35-year-old appears thrilled to return to Orchard Park. Norman, who hasn’t posted on his Instagram page since March, shared a strong message to his 383,000 followers just hours before the news broke of his reunion with Buffalo.
He captioned a photo of himself making a catch, “SUCCESS is not FINAL. FAILURE is not FATAL. It is the COURAGE to CONTINUE that COUNTS. And boy is this one about to count for the ages!! #SoLet’sGoGet’Em No’🦇.”
After exiting Buffalo, Norman spent the 2021 NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers, during which he tallied 49 tackles, seven forced fumbles, five passes defensed, and one interception in 15 game appearances.
Before his first stint with the Bills, the Pro Bowler had signed a five-year $75 million contract with the Washington Commanders in 2016, which made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league at the time, per ESPN.
However, he was released in February 2020 after head coach Ron Rivera was hired to replace Jon Gruden. Even though Rivera was his coach in Carolina, during which Norman was a key part in helping the Panthers win 17 games en route to the Super Bowl during the 2015 NFL season, his release was expected under the regime change.
Whenever I think of Josh Norman
Buffalo fans and analysts had lukewarm feelings on Norman’s return, as several people posted a video of the veteran getting decked by Titans running back Derrick Henry during the last time he played for the Bills.
Bills Lost CB Tre’Davious White for the Season, Christian Benford Is Banged Up
GettyBills cornerback Tre’Davious White carted off at Highmark Stadium on October 01, 2023.
Norman’s signing comes just eight days after the Bills lost All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White to a season-ending Achilles tear against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4.
The team moved quickly to sign Herb Miller, a former Super Bowl champ, to the practice squad on October 3, but perhaps the Bills wanted extra insurance considering starting cornerback Christian Benford suffered a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined in Week 5.
During a press conference on Monday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Benford was “improving” and was considered day-to-day leading up to their Week 6 matchup against the New York Giants.
McDermott also revealed linebacker Matt Milano (fractured leg) and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (pectoral tear) will be out indefinitely.
Kaiir Elam Struggled Hard in His Season Debut
GettyBills cornerback Kaiir Elam at Highmark Stadium on August 13, 2022.
The Bills signing yet another cornerback is not a great sign for Kaiir Elam, the Bills former first-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft.
After being a healthy scratch throughout the first four games of the season, the 22-year-old had a chance to prove himself with both White and Benford out against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Elam struggled so much that McDermott benched him midway through the fourth quarter.
Ja’Marcus Ingram, a former undrafted free agent out of Buffalo, who was elevated from the practice squad on Sunday, took over his role for the remainder of the game. Following Buffalo’s 25-20 loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, McDermott refused to make excuses for Elam when asked if his struggles stemmed from being inactive.
“No,” McDermott told reporters. “You’re playing, you’re expected to play and perform well, regardless of whether you’ve played or been active or inactive the week before, and guys have done that over the years.”
He also confirmed that Elam was not pulled due to an injury. “Just more situationally, wanted to get another player in there,” he said, which wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for his future in Buffalo.
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All-Pro CB Josh Norman Posts Strong Message Ahead of Bills Reunion