Jaycee

Horn

He came up hurt after tackling DeVonta Smith inside the 10 and immediately wheeled into the locker room. It has the look of an injury that could keep him out for multiple weeks or possibly send him to season-ending IR. Dane Jackson replaced Horn.

Horn is reportedly dealing with a calf injury and was limited in practice on Wednesday due to the injury. Horn presumably went into the Panthers’ Week 11 bye at full health, so it’s possible this is a minor injury he suffered during the team’s bye week. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like the team is expecting to see him in this week’s game against the Chiefs.

Hubbard, in the final year of his rookie contract, has started all eight games for the Panthers so far and found his way into elite workload. It seemed like there would be plenty of incentive to move on if the Panthers were turning the backfield over to Jonathan Brooks, but they are “not having a fire sale.” OK. Hubbard remains a RB2 candidate until the long-rumored Brooks takeover comes. Horn has not played outstanding football this year but his 69.3 PFF coverage grade indicates he’s still been better than most.

Horn has missed more games than he has played in after the Panthers selected him No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, appearing in just 22 games while missing 29. He reportedly added more weightlifting to his offseason routine, saying Monday, “Just trying to switch something up and start from ground zero and build my body back up.” Horn added, “I know what I’m capable of, and I still feel like I’m one of the best DBs in this league. I’ve just got to be out there to show it. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.” Horn will play the 2024 season on the fourth year of his five-year rookie deal after the team exercised his fifth-year option in April.

This was far from a guarantee because of Horn’s injury history, but he is still only 24 years old and the cellar-dwelling Panthers can’t afford to be throwing in the towel on young talent. It is looking increasingly less likely Horn ever lives up to his No. 8 overall pedigree, but he continues to make a visible impact and earn strong Pro Football Focus coverage marks when on the field.

Horn, a 2021 first-round pick, missed three months with a hamstring injury, but he was activated off the IR earlier in the month but will now make his first appearance on the field since September. That’s good news for the Panthers with all of their other secondary injuries, but it’s unclear if Jaguars back-up QB C.J. Beathard is the man to take advantage of those injuries.

Ekwonu was limited in practice throughout the week and looks like a good bet to play on Sunday. That’s good news for Bryce Young, who is coming off the best game of his rookie season but would struggle to keep the ball rolling without his left tackle in the lineup. Cornerback Jaycee Horn is also listed as questionable.

The 2021 first-rounder somehow ended up missing three months with his hamstring ailment. It was just the latest injury blow for a talented corner who has now missed 29 of a possible 46 NFL games. The back end of the Panthers’ defense has performed reasonably well in Horn’s absence, stamping out big plays. Horn absolutely has to gain some career momentum down the stretch of this lost Carolina season.

Horn’s 21-day window is now opened. The Panthers don’t need to rush him back to the field, but he’ll at least begin practicing this week. Horn’s hamstring injury was somewhat severe, as the former first-round pick hasn’t played since Week 1. The Panthers are 1-8 and have virtually no hope of making the postseason. They almost certainly won’t rush Horn back until he’s 100-percent ready to return, but the three week deadline is now underway. In addition to Horn, the Panthers also opened the return window for tight end Ian Thomas (calf).

Horn will miss at least the next four games recovering from his injury, but as Ian Rapoport noted in a post, “Horn should be on the field at some point in the second half of the season.” It doesn’t sound like the Panthers are expecting Horn to return after the four-game minimum, but we’ll know more about that as his return date draws near. For now, we know the Panthers are down their No. 1 corner, which should provide a boost to the Saints’ pass-catchers heading in to Week 2.