In April, Josh Norman became the highest paid cornerback in the league after signing a lucrative five-year, $75 million contract with Washington, which included $50 million in guarantees. With so much money invested in Norman, it would make sense that he would cover the opposing team's best wide receiver every Sunday. But when Week 1 rolled along, the self-proclaimed "best cornerback on Earth" wasn't lined up in front of Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown all that often.
While Norman did hold his own in a limited capacity against Brown, keeping him on zero catches on two targets, AB absolutely roasted Norman's teammate Bashaud Breeland to the tune of seven catches on eight targets and two touchdowns. Earlier today, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz blasted Norman for claiming to be the best, and then avoiding the league's most talented wideout. "Especially if he calls himself —I don't call him this, he calls himself the best corner in the league—then you have to go cover the best receivers on the other team," Cruz told ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "Going in, I thought he was going to follow AB all over the place, but he didn't. So it is what it is. He made his choice."
Cruz wasn't the only Giants player to take shots at Norman. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who signed a five-year, $62.5 million deal with New York in March, also gave his two cents on the situation. "I think when you're paying someone $70 million, there shouldn't be no game plan," Jenkins said. "The game plan should be, you're on this guy, and that's what it is."
The Giants will take on Washington in Week 3, a game that is already shaping up to be must-see TV.
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