In Josh Norman’s latest outburst, he called Victor Cruz an attention-seeking has-been, in so many words. Perhaps it’s a good thing there were no mirrors around.
“Crazy thing is, I guess if you say something, you get yourself on TV — cause I’m always on,” Norman said Thursday, according to ESPN, responding to Cruz’s barbs earlier this week, without mentioning him by name. “Add up the number of people who are saying something against me, compared to how many I say something to them, you’ll see the vast [difference in the] number of people. Wow.”
The war of words stems from the vociferous Redskins cornerback’s showing Monday night, when Norman mostly avoided Antonio Brown as the all-world wideout ran rampant in a one-sided Steelers win. That prompted expressions of surprise from Cruz, a spectator last season as Norman (then with the Panthers) went 15 rounds with Giants teammate Odell Beckham Jr. and peppered Beckham with misogynistic taunts afterward.
“Especially if he calls himself – I don’t call him this, he calls himself – the best corner in the league, then you have to cover the best receivers on the other team,’’ Cruz said Wednesday. “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.’’
Norman, who was renounced this offseason by the Panthers and also signed on as a part-time pundit for Fox, framed the critique as a pathetic spotlight bid by Cruz, a Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler before a string of injuries scuttled most of his past two seasons.
“When you’re at the top of your profession, someone is always trying to grab at you just because they’re not at the top of your profession,” Norman said. “You just have to extend down your arm and hand them an olive branch.”
Cruz also said this week he anticipates Norman will accept the challenge of going mano a mano with Beckham when the NFC East rivals match up for the first time in Week 3. Until then, Norman — seemingly immune to irony — can’t imagine why the Giants have his name in their mouths.
“Now somebody else’s team that we’re not even playing this week,” Norman said. “I’m sure they need to worry about their matchups. Let’s keep it that way. It’s like, ‘Wow.’ You take it with a grain of salt.”