ASHBURN, Va. -- It's not a war of words Washington Redskins corner Josh Norman wants to get into with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's a jersey swap.

Not that it'll happen. Two years ago, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin began prohibiting the team's players from engaging in them. But the overall point from Norman was simple. He has a healthy respect for two of the players he'll face Monday night: quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown.

"Oh my gosh, Big Ben, another great one," Norman said. "You look at the quarterbacks in this league, and Big Ben has been up there since he's been in the league. He's one of the great ones. I'll walk up to him and be like, 'Hey, can I get your jersey?'

"That's how much respect I've got for him. I don't ask for jerseys like that, until someone shows me they are great at what they do. Big Ben is that. That's the utmost respect I have for a quarterback."

Norman has been a focal point ever since he signed with Washington in the spring, following Carolina's decision to rescind the franchise tag it had placed on him. Part of it stems from his contract, worth $15 million a year, the highest for a corner. He has been in headlines for his matchup with Odell Beckham Jr., based on what happened last year and because they play twice this season.

Arizona corner Patrick Peterson poked fun at him on Twitter about a video from a Redskins practice that ended up on social media. But when it came to Roethlisberger and Brown, there was nothing but love from Norman. In fact, Norman can be a quiet player on the field, teammates say. Even Norman said he wouldn't trash talk with Brown, because he likes him.

"Watching him and what he's able to do is freakish," Norman said. "When you look at the receivers in the NFL you don't have to stop nowhere other than Antonio Brown. It starts and ends with him. That's going to be a tall task to take on, and I respect that. I'm looking forward to what he brings, because that matchup is going to be a physical one and a fun one. I have nothing but respect for that guy."

Monday will mark the first time Norman covers Brown in a game -- they didn't match up in a 2013 meeting -- but that respect extends as well to Roethlisberger, whom Norman called "cerebral."

"He can make all the throws," Norman said. "Shoot, his name speaks for itself: Big Ben. You can't take him down. He's good with his feet. That's the thing people don't realize and understand, that he can create things on the go, and he gets back there and he doesn't get flustered."

Earlier in the day, Roethlisberger said he didn't want to get lulled into any sort of verbal exchange.

"If you're trying to do that, that's when the game kind of falls apart, and the defender gets you," he said in a conference call with the Washington media. "That's what they want. I've been playing long enough not to fall into that trap, whether it's a corner, whether it's a linebacker or a trash-talker."

But, Norman said, that's not what he's looking for Monday night, his first regular-season game in a Redskins uniform. For him, it's not about reminding everyone what he can still do on the field.

"I don't have to do that, because I've been doing that since day one," Norman said. "It's just them. It's not trying to prove them wrong. It's trying to prove I'm right in what I do and my approach. I don't care about the other white noise."