When cornerback Josh Norman signed with the Redskins in 2016, he was seen as one of the best at his position in the NFL. Always vocal and brash, Norman was a hot-headed superstar. His time with Washington has been more trouble than expected, however.
Norman was benched in the second half of the Redskins’ Monday night blowout loss to the Saints. Why? Well, Norman really just didn’t care.
So here's something. Kevin Sheehan, longtime host of the Skins pregame show, reported on his podcast today that Josh Norman was benched last week for not taking his headphones off during Gruden's halftime talk. Here's Sheehan's report. Listen here https://t.co/KDjbTIAx36 pic.twitter.com/CryxCD14Ot
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) October 12, 2018
Norman refused to take off his headphones while coach Jay Gruden addressed the team at halftime. Seriously! Like a mad teenager! We talk about Odell Beckham Jr. being a diva, but this is just something else.
Some Washington coaches have reportedly not been on good terms with the player. He hasn’t been playing well, and this instance shows his lack of care. Maybe he is upset with the team’s overall performance. Maybe he was upset about getting burned by Tre’Quan Smith for Drew Brees’ record-breaking touchdown. Either way, he’s not happy.
Norman has to redeem himself in the Redskins’ Week 6 battle against his former team. At 2-2, the team is still in the race for the NFC East and need their men to step up. The pending matchup and humiliating benching needs to produce the effect of lighting a fire under him.
Josh Norman: "Playing those guys, obviously I love them. My old friends, they’re coming to town."
Here's more from the one and only @J_No24 https://t.co/jcxTlXiq6H
— Max Henson (@maxhenson) October 11, 2018
Either way, the whole act is juvenile, especially for a 30-year-old veteran. You’ve got to respect your coach regardless of whether or not you agree with him. This is a team sport, and no organization can withstand anyone who behaves this selfishly.
