Redskins corner Josh Norman was benched Monday night, and Saints wideout Mike Thomas clowned him for it.
Washington Redskins corner Josh Norman enjoyed a defensive series off during Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
The veteran corner was replaced by rookie Greg Stroman to start the second half. Stroman gave up a long touchdown before Norman was put back in.
After the game, Saints star receiver Mike Thomas took to Twitter to respond to Norman’s since-deleted tweets that showcased his frustrations.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden spoke with Norman regarding the decision, and while it appeared it was productive at the moment, Norman implied there was no need to continue to talk about the issue.
“We talked about some things at halftime,” Jay Gruden said about Norman, per the Washington Post. “Had to cool him down a little bit. Everything’s fine. It’ll be back to normal, and he’ll play the rest of the year.”
“I leave everything up to the head coach,” Norman said. “Whatever Jay said, that’s what we’re going to go with. I don’t have anything else more to say on the issue.
“At the end of the day, yes, I’m a fiery competitor. Never want to come off … But whatever the head coach says, I’m a go for it. That’s the chain of command. He’s in charge … I respect the head man in charge.”
The Redskins secondary was embarrassed on national television, so it’s understandable the coaching staff and Norman were upset. But the Saints have an explosive offense, and Drew Brees was due for a historic evening. Sometimes the odds are in someone else’s favor.
Thomas, though, was fired up because Norman pointed out the Saints wideout recorded no catches against him. Maybe in the future, both players will stay off Twitter after a game. Thomas should enjoy historic nights such as Monday, and Norman should let his emotions cool off.