Get over it, Odell
Norman: Beckham can’t stop talking about me
ASHBURN, Va. — Saying he has bigger things to worry about, Josh Norman is calling a personal cease-fire in his war of words with Odell Beckham Jr.
That is liable to change, of course, considering Norman proudly remains one of the NFL’s loudest and quirkiest trash-talkers.
For now, though, the new Redskins cornerback is going to let Beckham carry the feud stemming from their infamous game-long brawl at MetLife Stadium last December.
“I must be doing something right with how much the guy is talking about me,” Norman told The Post Wednesday after a two-hour practice in blistering heat in preparation for the Redskins second preseason game against the Jets on Friday. “But you won’t hear me talking about him.”
The former Panthers star, who ended up with Washington during a wild offseason in which Carolina abruptly rescinded the franchise tag and made Norman a free agent, said he feels like he’s already said enough about Beckham.
After all, Norman told The Post at the Super Bowl in January that Beckham was “crazy” after picking up three personal fouls and a onegame NFL suspension for an ugly cheap shot and his repeated brawling with Norman in the Panthers’ 38-35 road win in Week 15.
Beckham apparently still holds a grudge, recently telling GQ Magazine that he is the only reason Norman is relevant, but Norman — with at least two games against Beckham now on his annual schedule — no longer appears interested in fanning the flames.
“He’s just one of the receivers in the division,” Norman said of Beckham. “I feel the same way about Dez Bryant and now [recent Eagles acquisition] Dorial GreenBeckham. I already go against one of the best receivers in the league in practice in DeSean Jackson, and Pierre [Garcon] is great, too.”
Norman and Beckham won’t have to wait long to renew acquaintances. The Giants play host to the Redskins in Week 3 next month, with the rematch set for Week 17 at Washington.
“I’m sure both of those games against [Beckham] are going to be fiery, and the fans are obviously going to pour out for it,” Norman said Wednesday. “But it’s two teams, not two players. People need to keep that in mind.”
Norman said he isn’t worried about his annual matchups getting out of hand like the one last December, noting that the NFL used it in the offseason to institute “The Odell Beckham Rule” — the ejection of any player with two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties in the same game.
“What everyone saw that day isn’t going to happen again,” Nor- man told The Post. “The refs would step in if something like that happened. They’ll probably have more control over the game. That was a situation that I feel like would never happen again. Hell, they even made a rule about it.”
Norman, 28, is more concerned at the moment with fitting in with his new team and giving Redskins owner Dan Snyder his money’s worth after Snyder handed Norman $50 million guaranteed to come to Washington.
Skeptics say Norman benefited from a lot of proven, Pro Bowl help in Carolina that he won’t have with the Redskins, who despite winning the NFC East finished 28th in the league in total defense and have already lost their best pass rusher in Junior Galette to a torn Achilles tendon in the offseason.
Norman, whose new position coach is former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, also will likely have to play a lot more man coverage — not his strength — than he did in Carolina.
“It caught me off-guard how quickly it happened that we got him, but it’s exciting,” Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. “You really feel like he’s one of the missing pieces.”
Norman, who regularly stays a halfhour after practice to work on individual coverage drills, feels likewise.
“Every corner I turn, there’s something new, something different,” he said. “It’s change. You adapt and you grow. This a great situation. I’m blessed beyond measure, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.”
Even if it means seeing his good buddy Odell Beckham at least twice a year.