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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Do you think Josh Norman’s most fun matchup is Odell Beckham Jr. or Dez Bryant?

If you had to pick one receiver you can’t wait to see Norman face off against next season, who would you choose?

NFL: Washington Redskins at New York Giants
NFL: Washington Redskins at New York Giants
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.

Josh Norman is one of the game’s most entertaining players, no matter who Washington is up against. His rivalries with characters like Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant make his games against the Giants and Cowboys must-watch matchups.

Norman thinks he had the best season of his career last year covering other teams’ top receivers, including Bryant and Beckham. And he feels like he put to rest any lingering questions about whether or not he was just a system cornerback during his time with the Panthers. Beckham said he can do it all now.

“I can go in nickel, I can come off the edge, you know, I can come after a sack; I will make plays, smack a running back in the backfield,” Norman said, via the team’s website. “Wherever you need me to do, I’ll be the hammer, I’ll be the force, and I did that on our side as well, held up as best as we possibly could.”

That bodes well for some compelling battles between Norman and receivers next year. And he’s predicting fines and maybe suspensions to come out of these heated competitions in the NFC East.

“I’m going to be honest with you: This shit is going to get really ugly,” Norman said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “Because I do have a safety that don’t give a fuck and I definitely don’t. And I know they don’t have that many people on the offense who do on their side.”

Norman’s matchups with Beckham and Bryant will continue to bring us some of the most captivating moments in football for seasons to come. But which matchup is the best?

Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr.

This rivalry dates back to the 2015 season, when Norman was still with the Carolina Panthers. Things got out of hand between them to the point that Beckham was suspended for a game, and Norman was fined $23,000.

So everyone was waiting for the fireworks when the Giants faced off against Washington last season. Norman and Beckham didn’t disappoint.

It looked like Norman was thinking about slamming Beckham to the ground, but he wisely decided to go the classic ballet lift route instead before dropping Beckham to the ground like a sack of potatoes:

Norman got the best of Beckham on this play, saving a touchdown by jumping the route and almost coming up with the pick:

And in their late-season matchup, things got awfully contentious:

Norman and Beckham both have big personalities, and their tussles never disappoint. But is Norman vs. Beckham definitely the best matchup? Not so fast.

Josh Norman vs. Dez Bryant

These two do not seem to like each other one bit. Norman claimed last season that Bryant told him, “Where I’m from, we don’t lip; we unload the clip.” Bryant denied it, and Norman later walked back the claim.

It didn’t stop Norman from saying exactly what he thinks about Bryant’s game, and it wasn’t flattering.

“He doesn’t ‘wow’ you,” Norman said about Bryant, via Bleacher Report. “For me, he don’t. For other guys, he probably will do the worst to them because he’ll bully them. But you can’t bully a bully. You know what I’m saying? That’s why his game doesn’t resonate to me.”

Neither Norman nor Bryant was willing to back down when the Cowboys and Washington met on Thanksgiving Day:

These guys can’t even keep the trash talk on the field. Bryant thought Washington should have a little buyer’s remorse about Norman, even though Bryant only had three catches for 32 yards when Norman was covering him:

Norman was unfazed.

”What am I going to go back and forth for? It’s not a battle,” Norman said. “It’s not a competition when the other person don’t show up.”

Norman doesn’t put Bryant on par with Beckham.

”It’s not like with the guy from up in N.Y.,” Norman said of Bryant.

The good news is that Norman, Beckham, and Bryant are all in the NFC East. We get to enjoy the trash talk and watch each rivalry play out on the field twice next season.

But which matchup are you most excited about next season?

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