Odell Beckham Vs. Josh Norman Rivalry Just Got A Little More Intense

One of the most controversial stories of the 2015 NFL season was the clash between New York Giants’ star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Carolina Panthers’ cornerback Josh Norman. The matchup between the two was anticipated for weeks. When it came time for the first snap of the game, the two explosive personalities didn’t mix very well.

To recap their infamous meeting, Beckham attempted to tackle Norman leading with his helmet after supposed verbal abuse. Beckham ended up getting a hefty fine from the NFL for his actions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExYFWWDSNM

Odell Beckham and Josh Norman had multiple interactions throughout the entire game. The scuffles got so heated that their teams had to jump in to break them up periodically. These “scuffles” led to Beckham’s explosive and vicious hit. After the game, reports surfaced that Beckham was apparently threatened by Norman.

Jason La Canfora also reported that before game even started, Beckham was threatened physically with a baseball bat by Norman. The Giants also claimed that homophobic slurs were used against Beckham as well.

The Panthers’ organization denied all of Beckham’s allegations and insisted that the baseball bat was a part of the team’s pregame ritual. After this incident, the Panthers claimed that the baseball bat would not be used in any more pregame rituals due to the issue it caused.

The Carolina Panthers recently rescinded the franchise tag that was given to Josh Norman because the two parties couldn’t work out a long-term deal. This move came back to haunt Panthers’ general manager, Dave Gettleman.

Once the tag was rescinded, a number of NFL teams called to inquire about the kind of price that Norman was looking for. The New York Giants even gave a call to see what Norman’s price tag was. There is no surprise why the Giants didn’t make a move to sign him given his hefty price tag and Beckham’s animosity.

The Washington Redskins came in as the highest bidder and Josh Norman didn’t hesitate to take the kind of money they offered him. The star cornerback signed, with the Redskins this past Friday. He is now the highest paid corner in the league with a contract worth $75 million over five years. Norman is guaranteed $51.1 million of his contract.

The Giants and Redskins are already bitter division rivals as it is. The two teams have a history of animosity towards each other. The Redskins being the favorite to take the NFC East crown in 2016 already gives Beckham and the Giants something to prove.

Josh Norman won’t make the rivalry any better. He is only going to make the hatred between the two teams mean a lot more than it already does. If the Redskins did not manage to sign Norman, he wouldn’t have seen Beckham in the 2016 regular season.

Beckham and Norman are going to have to face each other twice a year for the next couple of seasons. Their feud is still burning hot even though months have passed since their confrontation. It didn’t take long before the “beef” was taken to Twitter.

2x. ?https://t.co/5u2oI2OIld pic.twitter.com/pk9oZVPqCi

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 23, 2016

The Redskins are already looking to take advantage of Beckham’s reaction and they are starting to build up the tension now. However, the New York Giants are taking a whole new approach to the situation.

Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning is already starting to put water on the fire. NJ.com reported a quote from Manning that heavily insinuated he is brushing off the Josh Norman signing. Manning has done a great job of handling situations like this his entire career and is highly respected in the NFL.

“Norman’s a good player but when you’re game-planning against Washington, we have 10 other guys to worry about and we have to worry about doing our part.

The rivalry between the two is likely going to build up until the two players face off for the first time in the third week of the 2016 NFL season.

[Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images]