The Buffalo Bills added veteran cornerback Josh Norman this offseason. While he may not be the star he once was, he could still add a lot to a defense.
Sadly for the Bills and Norman, they may need to wait a bit to see what he brings to the team.
According to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, Norman is currently sitting out with a hamstring injury. And even worse, the timeline for his return is undetermined at the moment.
“We don't know the severity exactly. Those things take some time to get a good read on,” McDermott said. “He'll continue to learn and be out there when he can. The biggest thing right now is that he maximizes his treatment opportunities so he can get back out there as quickly as possible.”
Norman signed a massive contract before the 2016 season with the Washington Football Team after establishing himself as a superstar with the Carolina Panthers. The cornerback could not find the same magic in Washington, though. While he had some productive moments, his tenure with the team was ultimately disappointing.
The two sides cut ties this offseason, and Norman quickly found a new home in Buffalo. There, the hope is that he can become a productive cornerback in the NFL once again.
With that in mind, this injury is certainly a massive blow. The fact that the team does not know exactly how bad it is just yet doesn't make things any better.
At the very least, Norman is a strong veteran presence who you can rely on to give you some good plays every game. He will be a very welcome presence in Buffalo, and hopefully will not miss too much time (if any) in the regular season.
Hamstring injuries could be tricky, though. So it is important that the cornerback does not rush back, and risk further injury. As head coach Sean McDermott said, Norman can still learn a lot and be “out there when he can.”
For now, it is important that he “maximizes his treatment opportunities.” That is the best way to ensure that he is back to 100 percent as soon as possible.