Jaycee Horn is '100%' and is a 'Full-Go' for Offseason Workouts

Some really good news for the Panthers' defense.

The Carolina Panthers had high hopes for Jaycee Horn last season after drafting him 8th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Head coach Matt Rhule felt like they needed to shore up the secondary on a young defense, especially when you are facing some of the game's elite receivers twice a year in the NFC South. 

Just three games into his rookie season, Horn went down with a non-contact injury that resulted in three broken bones in his foot during a Thursday night road game against the Houston Texans. 

Initially, there was some thought that if all went well, Horn could return in time for the postseason. At the time, the Panthers were 3-0 and felt that reaching the playoffs was obtainable. As the season started to unwind in the opposite direction, they felt there was no need to rush Horn back into action and instead, allow him to use the final few weeks of the season and the entire offseason to heal completely.

"It was difficult," Horn said in regards to missing 14 games as a rookie. "Obviously, just being a competitor and you see your team fighting to win and you can't help them out, it's frustrating. I just took what came with it and it helped me grow as a person."

Although he may not have been able to gain valuable in-game reps, he did make the most of his time off of the field by picking the brain of Stephon Gilmore who the team traded for just a couple of weeks after Horn went down. 

"I learned a lot. I was in the training room a lot getting treatment, recovering and Steph was in there a lot too. Every day we just talked about plays that might have happened in Sunday's game or him just giving me little recovery tips or tips on how he watches film. I gained a lot from that just having him for one year."

Sure, it was a small sample size but Horn looked the part in those 2.5 games that he played. He allowed just one reception and made several good plays on the ball, including nabbing his first career interception which came against the Saints in Week 2. 

With Donte Jackson now signed through the 2024 season and Horn 100% healthy, the Panthers have the ability to slow down teams through the air in 2022 and beyond.

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