Josh Norman Receives Franchise Tag from Panthers

Carolina Panthers star cornerback Josh Norman is in line for a huge payday, and the Panthers will likely look to retain his services through a long-term extension after securing him for the 2016-17 season. 

Continue for updates.

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Norman Lands Franchise Tag

Tuesday, March 1

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that "Norman [was] franchise-tagged by the Panthers." The franchise tag is set at $13,952,000 for cornerbacks.

David Newton of ESPN reported on Monday that there had been "no real progress" between the Panthers and Norman. He said to "expect" that Norman would be hit with the franchise tag. 

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Norman Reportedly Met with Panthers

Friday, Feb. 26 

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported the Panthers met with Norman on Thursday and added that there wasn't much progress toward a deal.   

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Gettleman Comments on Norman Negotiations

Wednesday, Feb. 24

"Obviously we are going to try to get a deal done with Norman," said Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman, per Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. "If not, tag is an option."

Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer added the Panthers will meet with Norman's camp at the NFL combine.

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Norman to Command Money Worthy of Elite CB

Norman has been labeled one of the best cornerbacks—if not the best—in the game this past season. He recorded a career-high four interceptions and was named to the All-Pro first team in 2015.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus shared this tidbit about Norman back in October:

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When you start talking about elite, shutdown corners, one of the first things some people focus on is whether they track receivers. No matter how well Richard Sherman plays there are people that won't give him the credit he deserves because the Seahawks don't ask him to track receivers. I wrote about the subject at length here, and I think it's a far more complicated concept than "tracking = better," but it is interesting to note that the Panthers have moved Norman around this year to cover both sides of the field and run with receivers.

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For what it's worth, corner Darrelle Revis signed a five-year, $70 million contract when he returned to the New York Jets. If Norman commands $14 million per year, that might be reasonable for the Panthers. However, franchise-tagging Norman to see if this success can last longer than one year may be the best decision for Carolina.