Jaycee Horn Hopes Carolina Can Keep 'Super Bowl Defense' Together & Turn Things Around

An end-of-season catch up with Panthers' cornerback Jaycee Horn.

It's been a difficult first three years in the NFL for Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, who has missed 29 of the possible 51 games due to injury. It's been one thing after another in what has been a string of bad luck for a guy who had been relatively healthy throughout his career before being drafted.

Horn played in just six games this season thanks to a hamstring injury that placed him on injured reserve along with some other bumps and bruises toward the end of the season. The good news? He's heading into his first full offseason where he won't be dealing with anything major.

"I'm good right now. I'm a little banged up, just some normal soreness," Horn told All Panthers this past Monday. "This is going to be my first offseason where I ain't got to rehab or have surgery or some crazy stuff like that. My plan is really just to get strong, hit the weight room and try to do all the right things and come back next year and stay healthy."

In addition to the injuries, the team hasn't had a lick of success since he was drafted in 2021. For the better part of those three seasons, the defense has played at a high level and have had to overcome the offense's shortcomings. It's something that can divide a locker room, especially when it's been a problem that has lasted this long. According to Horn, it's still a tight knit group despite the frustration of not receiving much help from the offense.

"It ain't tough for me, we brothers. I mean, obviously it's a little frustrating but that's just how the game go sometimes. We may need them to bail us out some games next year you just never know how it goes. We just try to stay together.

"I think we got all the pieces. On the offensive side of the ball I can't really speak on that. We'll probably have to go and make moves or whatever and get more help, but I feel like as a team we got the leadership, got the players. We just got to put it together. You see it every year people panicking because of our record but I got no worries. I think we'll turn this thing around."

A big part of Carolina's success on the defensive side over the last couple of years stems from the pressure they've been able to get on the quarterback from Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu. When you have an elite edge rusher to go with a strong interior blitzing linebacker, you're able to make life hell for opposing quarterbacks.

This offseason, the Panthers will have a decision to make on each of their futures as both are set to become unrestricted free agents. Burns' representation and recently fired GM Scott Fitterer never came close to a contract extension and although he'll never admit it, it certainly played a factor in his dip in production. He had to protect himself and when you have that hanging over your head, it's difficult play full speed every single snap. With a new GM set to enter the building, perhaps the Panthers and Burns can agree on something and avoid using the franchise tag.

Horn knows the importance of having both Burns and Luvu as a part of this defense and is hopeful that they remain with the organization in 2024.

"I don't even think I can put it into words. My job, it makes it a lot easier when you got Brian and Frankie. I hope we can bring those guys back. That's two guys that are like my brothers. I love going to battle with those guys and seeing how they compete day in and day out. I hope we're able to bring them back and keep the defense together because we showed we're a top defense. We feel like we're a playoff defense. We're a Super Bowl defense."

Much like Burns and Luvu, there's some uncertainty surrounding defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Does he remain as the DC under the new head coach? Does he become the head coach in Carolina? Could Carolina allow him to go elsewhere once they hire a new head coach? Or could he get a head coaching job this cycle? Ideally, the Panthers would like to keep him in some capacity, Horn included.

"Like I've said before, I got no say in that," Horn said when asked if he would like to see Evero as the head coach. "No matter what I feel, I got no say in it. I'm a big fan of Coach E. I told him and Coach (Jonathan) Cooley, they helped my game tremendously this year and helped me learn a lot. I'll be excited if they bring him back, but I try not to put too much into that because I don't want my feelings hurt and stuff.

Whether it's this cycle or one in the near future, Evero will be a head coach in this league. Jaycee listed a few reasons why it's a matter of when, not if.

"Just the way he leads and he's a pro. I know it's weird to say that for a coach but when you see him he's the same guy every day. Same attitude no matter what happens. He's super smart. I feel like he puts us in the position to make plays. He does a good job of transferring the information to his brain to the players' brain and getting us to understand it in the simplest forms. I just think he's a hell of a coach and I'm excited for him. Whatever happens, happens."

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