Report: 49ers leading candidate to land CB Josh Norman

Former Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, however, doesn’t fit that description, which could explain the 49ers’ reported interest in the 2015 first-team All-Pro.

The 49ers are the leading candidate to sign Norman, 28, Yahoo Sports reported, citing two league sources.

Norman was reportedly planning to hold out for at least the first part of the offseason program and Carolina decided to eliminate a potential distraction because they saw no chance of signing him to a contract extension.

Norman reportedly wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, eclipsing the $14.02 million annual average salary earned by the Jets’ Darrelle Revis.

If signed, Norman would likely surpass quarterback Colin Kaepernick ($11.9 million base salary) as the 49ers’ highest-paid player.

Norman, a 2012 fifth-round pick, earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors last year after he had 22 starts and three interceptions in his first three seasons.

In 2015, he had four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and quarterbacks had an NFL-low 54.0 passer rating when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus.