FLOWERY BRANCH – On one side of a pivotal matchup Sunday is the definition of a franchise player, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.
The Saints made Jordan, a defensive end out of California, a first-round pick in 2011. He has remained a Saint for all 14 of his seasons. An eight-time Pro Bowler, Jordan holds the club record for sacks.
And on the other is Storm Norton, a 30-year-old Falcons offensive tackle who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo and has zigzagged his way through six seasons in the league. The Falcons are his third team that he has played for, but he has been on the roster of an additional three. He was without a team for the entire 2019 season. He was also a member of the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL.
“It’s like your typical journeyman, I guess we’re called,” Norton said Friday in the Falcons locker room. “But it’s kind of helped mold me into the person I am. A lot of adversity. You can never get too comfortable in one spot, always striving to get better day in and day out.”
Every Sunday brings a new set of one-on-one matchups, and the one that will take place on the right side of the Falcons offensive line at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – a journeyman vs. a star – is not only pivotal in the outcome of a critical game for the Falcons, but also one that is compelling on its own.
Norton will be starting at right tackle in place of Kaleb McGary, who suffered a knee injury in the Falcons’ loss to Kansas City on Sunday. Norton will be one of two backup offensive linemen – center Ryan Neuzil is the other – thrust into the starting lineup because of injuries. Not the ideal time to face a team tied for fifth in sacks in the NFL with 11.
Norton’s task Sunday will be to prevent Jordan and his teammates from pulverizing Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Ardent Falcons fans rue Jordan, though perhaps not to the extent that past Falcons quarterbacks do. In 26 career games against the Falcons, Jordan has 23 sacks. That is not only one of the top all-time sack totals against the Falcons – Hall of Famer Kevin Greene appears to be the record holder at 28.5 sacks – but a mark that has few peers for any player against any NFL team.
He is a defining player in the Falcons-Saints rivalry. If Jordan were as successful at taking down quarterbacks throughout his career as he has been against the Falcons, averaging .88 sacks per game, he would be third on the NFL’s career sack list with 187. As it is, he is 23rd with 117.5.
Jordan is 17-9 against the Falcons, a mark that he can take plenty of credit for. Nearing the end of his career, Jordan may have a reduced role Sunday, but his presence will be difficult to miss.
“Physicality, timely rushes, a unique skillset to be able to (use) his hands, his ability to shed blocks,” coach Raheem Morris said of Jordan. “He always makes the play at the right time. And right now he looks like he’s being an ultimate mentor to the guys that he’s coaching and playing with because sometimes you’ve got to look closely to see who’s out there so see who that actually was because everybody’s mimicking some of the movements of Cam.”
Norton and Jordan are familiar with one another. Norton signed with the Saints in March 2023, was cut at the end of the preseason and then joined the practice squad. The Falcons signed him off the practice squad after their third game of the season. He started three games in place of McGary last season.
“He’s just a good player,” Norton said of Jordan. “He’s kind of made a career out of using his power to his advantage. He’s at this point in his career, he’s very crafty, played a lot of ball and kind of uses that to his advantage.”
Subbing for McGary against the Chiefs, Norton was OK. He held his own on most plays but had trouble on others. There were times that the speed of Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis off the edge was too much, an outcome that is hardly unique to Norton.
“I felt pretty good,” Norton said of his play against the Chiefs. “Offensive line play is never going to be perfect.”
Morris called Norton “the ultimate competitor” and a player “you feel really confident going out there and getting it done.”
Having had a week of practice with the starting offensive line, Norton figures to be more prepared Sunday than he was against the Chiefs. He has had time to hone the timing and cohesion with his linemates that are essential to effective line play.
While backups are expected to prepare as if they’ll start, it still isn’t quite the same.
“Now that they have this week to prepare, I think they’ll be on top of it more,” left tackle Jake Matthews said, speaking of Norton and Neuzil. “They’ve got more of an understanding that, ‘Hey, I’m playing in this thing and I’ve got to be ready to go.’”
For Norton, who is on a one-year contract with the Falcons, his starting in McGary’s place is more than a chance to help his team win. It is an audition to show the rest of the league that, at the least, he can be a serviceable backup. In his career, Norton has had one season as a full-time starter, in 2021 with the Los Angeles Chargers. According to his Pro Football Reference page, he has been waived or released 16 times.
Married with two young sons (Matthews called him a “laid-back dad”), Norton has grown accustomed to not feeling comfortable about his roster spot, focusing on gratitude for each day “because you never know when your last day can be in this league,” he said. “And you just have to have that mentality to come in each day, even when times are tough, when times are good, just try to be levelheaded and work on your own craft.”
He’ll have one of his more visible days on Sunday against a former practice partner and one of the top pass rushers of this generation. A team trying to return to .500 and start divisional play successfully is counting on him to be at his best.
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