ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury gets into verbal spat with 49ers CB Josh Norman

Nov 7, 2021, 4:02 PM | Updated: 6:23 pm

Division rivalries bring out the most competitive attitudes, even between opposing coaches and players.

In Sunday afternoon’s 31-17 win at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Josh Norman were seen jawing at each other during the second quarter.

However, it’s unclear what exactly was said or what sparked the spat between the two.

“I thought (the penalties) were both on me and I was getting ejected so I’m glad they weren’t,” Kingsbury said postgame.

“But no, that was just kind of a misunderstanding. I got to keep my composure better and can’t call the ref the things I called him, but luckily it worked out for us.”

It’s not every day that a coach will get into a verbal altercation with an opposing player during a game, but Kingsbury has also proven during his time in Arizona that he isn’t the typical NFL head coach.

“I don’t know,” Kingsbury said of the oddity of opposing players arguing with a coach. “I have a youthful exuberance that attracts it sometimes.”

This also isn’t the first time Norman has been seen chirping at his opponents during a game, either.

The cornerback has a history with the likes of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. when they were both playing on the East Coast.

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