Josh Norman: Panthers 'sideswiped' me by rescinding franchise tag

The Carolina Panthers surprised many when they rescinded the franchise tag on Josh Norman, including the cornerback himself.

Norman, who signed a reported five-year, $75-million deal with the Washington Redskins on Friday, told Larry Michael of "Redskins Nation" that he was completely caught off guard by the move.

"It came out of nowhere. It really did," he said. "I got sideswiped - I didn't see it coming."

The Redskins wasted no time setting up a meeting with Norman after he hit the open market, and with several other teams expressing interest, made sure he didn't leave town without a deal.

"When (the franchise tag was rescinded) it was crazy because Mr. Bruce (Allen), the President, hit (me) up right away with a jersey, No. 24," Norman said. "And the crazy thing is I didn't see it until a day and a half later because I was still getting over the fact of what was going on.

"Being somewhere 28 years all your life and just in a blink of an eye, gone, just like that, I've just never been without a job … That small amount of hours, everything went rapid and I came up here and it just felt right."

Norman is coming off a career year in which he recorded four interceptions, 19 passes defensed, and 56 tackles, and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Looking ahead to the 2016 season, Norman has his sights set on hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to the playoffs here," he said. "You guys went last year, I'm looking forward to going even deeper into the playoffs and then the Super Bowl. That's our motto, that's here, that's the goal. That's the ultimate goal.

"Yeah, you get to playoffs, you get deep into the rounds, the divisional and then the championship. I want to win the granddaddy of them all. I want to win the Super Bowl. And I'm not going to stop until I get back there. Because I know I will one day and then make the wrong a right."