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Because of a rash of injuries the past couple months, it’s understandable why many Carolina Panthers fans started stressing Thursday afternoon. Cornerback Josh Norman had just been named NFC Player of the Month, but he wasn’t at practice. Something had to be wrong.

Did it happen at Wednesday’s practice? Or was it when he landed hard on his back making that game-sealing interception in the end zone Sunday? The bad luck just doesn’t stop. Was it season-ending?

Shortly after practice, though, Norman rode into the locker room on his scooter. He was in street clothes and smiling, shaking hands with teammates. The Panthers excused him from practice for a personal matter, and he was just finding out about his award, the first time it had ever gone to a Panthers’ defensive back.

“It feels pretty good to be rewarded for your hard work and everything you’ve done,” he said.

In Week 1, he forced and recovered a fumble inside the red zone and returned an interception against the Jaguars. In Week 2, he held Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins to five receptions and 53 yards on 11 targets. Last week, he made that jaw-dropping, game-saving interception.

That’s quite a month, and it makes up for not winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week after the opener.

“I was like, ‘Man, how can you pass that up?’ But it worked out in my favor,” Norman said.

He certainly hasn’t lacked confidence since arriving in Carolina four years ago, but a big reason for Norman’s growth has been his self-criticism. This week, as the Panthers prepare to face the Bucs, brings up a perfect example.

When the teams last met, Norman held 6-foot-5 wideout Mike Evans to a pair of receptions for 13 yards. It was the lowest output of Evans’ fantastic rookie season. But one of those catches was a touchdown, an 8-yard fade route over Norman, whose reaction off the line was a split second too late.

“I’m still pissed. I’m glad we won the game. I’m ecstatic we won the game, but I’ve still got more work to do,” he said afterward.

Nine months later, that play still bothers him.

“You’ve got to be aware of the red-zone situation, you’ve got to be aware of the threat, you’ve got to be aware of the 6-5 receiver. Fade ball … hello,” Norman said Thursday.

“I’m better than that and I understand the situations of the game and who I was facing and what they like down there. Now I’ve graduated to a point where I’m knowing that stuff.”

While Norman is his worst critic, it helps that his coaches keep reminding him, and the media, he’s not yet a complete product.

“I think he’s on his way there,” Ron Rivera said when asked if Norman is an elite cornerback. “He’ll still make some mistakes, and elites do.

“I think he still has room to grow. He’s still a young football player and this is his opportunity and he’s grasping his opportunity and doing a great job with it.”

Blessed with natural talent, Norman’s intensity on the field often held him back. So much so that teammates like linebacker Thomas Davis have had to literally hold him back from officials and opponents.

Last season, Norman hit the penalty trifecta, getting flagged for one of each: a personal foul, taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct. But through three games this year, he’s been called for one penalty — defensive holding.

“He has matured a lot on the field. That’s something that comes with playing the game as long as he’s been able to play now, but at the same time, that’s who Josh is. That’s his personality,” Davis said.

“It’s something that you don’t always want to hold him back from, but you just try to prevent certain things from happening.”

Whoever Norman lines up across, he has little trouble getting motivated. But this week, he gets a rematch with Evans, who was targeted 17 times in Tampa’s loss last Sunday to the Texans. So when asked if he looked forward to covering a guy who could see that many looks, or if he wants to make sure Evans doesn’t get that many opportunities, Norman delivered a perfect Norman response:

“Either way it’s going to be good for me.”

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