New Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu fully expected to encounter Josh Norman twice a year for at least the next few years.
Norman anticipated the same.
The former training buddies thought they'd be in the same division when Sanu signed a five-year, $32.5 million deal in March. But after the Carolina Panthers rescinded the franchise tag placed on Norman, the cornerback sign a five-year, $75 million deal with the Washington Redskins on April 25.
"He's my boy; I know him," Sanu said of Norman. "We trained together. ... Me and him, we're cool. We text back and forth. I was kind of looking forward to that."
Norman echoed Sanu's thoughts.
"Yeah man, we're real cool," Norman said. "We met at IMG and have been encouraging each other every step of our journeys. We laughed at the chance of playing each other and it actually ended up almost happening when he came to Atlanta. I was stoked because we would get a chance to compete against each other on a regular [basis] finally. And then when all that stuff with Carolina broke down, then I was like, 'I guess, back to the drawing board.'"
Sanu and Norman obviously respect each other's games.
"I think he is one of the best," Sanu said of Norman. "A real competitor."
They'll see each other Aug. 11, when the Falcons and Redskins meet at the Georgia Dome in the preseason opener. Maybe Sanu and Norman could encounter each other again in the playoffs. The Redskins won the NFC East last year; the Falcons haven't made the postseason the last three seasons.
The addition of Sanu is expected to help open up more one-on-one opportunities for Julio Jones, arguably the most dynamic wide receivers in the game. And not having to contend with Norman twice a year might help the Falcons have better success against the three-time defending NFC South champion Panthers, although Atlanta did hand Carolina its only regular-season loss a year ago.
When Sanu's former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, tied the Carolina Panthers 37-37 back in October 2014, Norman was inactive for that game and not yet a household name. Sanu had a 34-yard touchdown catch in front of cornerback Melvin White.