What Broncos star Pat Surtain megadeal means for Panthers, Jaycee Horn

Matt Alquiza | Sep 5, 2024

Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers starting corner Jaycee Horn just received 96 million reasons to ball out in 2024.

The Denver Broncos reached an agreement with cornerback Pat Surtain II on a massive contract extension worth $96 million over four years. Surtain and Horn's careers are forever linked, as the two stud corners were picked back-to-back in the 2021 NFL Draft (Horn eighth, Surtain ninth).

In their short careers, Surtain has vastly outplayed Horn. The Broncos star was named to the NFL All Pro team in 2022, and has participated in back-to-back Pro Bowls. Most importantly, Surtain has missed three games total in his three NFL seasons, a beacon of consistency for a Denver franchise that has been in constant flux in recent years. Horn, on the other hand, has epitomized the uneven nature of the 2020's Carolina Panthers.

When Horn has taken the field for the Panthers, he has been nothing short of electric. He mixes a long, lanky frame with a physicality on the perimeter that make him one of the toughest defensive backs to throw on in the NFL. His patented seatbelt celebration has spread to all levels of the game, giving the Panthers defense an aura and swagger that has escaped the franchise this decade. Horn is a do-it-all, lockdown corner that an NFL defensive coordinator can build their entire scheme around.

He just can't stay on the field.

He has played in 22 of 51 games in his NFL career, and he knows that isn't good enough. Horn said earlier this offseason, "I’m just focused on being available. That’s the main thing.” They say availability is the best ability, and on the eve of a season that will go a long way in defining his NFL future, Horn has significant financial reason to be available this fall.

What Surtain's extension means for Horn and the Panthers

Horn has openly said that he is not thinking of an extension, nor has he talked to the Panthers about one. His rookie deal lapses at the end of the 2024-25 season, and his long-term future is still murky. A big time, healthy 2024 campaign for Horn would go a long way to clearing up that future. Assuming there is a world where Horn plays 15+ games, continues his ascent to the top of the cornerback market, and earns a long-term deal, Surtain's mega contract has set the market for what Horn could demand.

However, there is no scenario in which Jaycee Horn could demand a Surtain-level contract. The Broncos defensive back has three years of historical healthy production while Horn would have at most one. It does raise the value of cornerbacks as a whole though. A rising tide lifts all boats, and Surtain's mega deal just raised the price of all elite corners for years to come. For Horn, the Surtain deal is out of reach, but a long-term deal in the La'Jarius Sneed range of four years, $76 million is more akin to Horn's contractual value.

Carolina has had to do some work to become salary cap compliant for the 2024 season, but they project to have more financial flexibility come spring time. The franchise has limited options in the secondary behind Horn, so mutual interest in striking a long-term deal between the franchise and their star corner is assumed. If, and of course, it's a big if, Horn can stay healthy, the Panthers will need to allocate some of that cap flexibility to the former Gamecock corner that can lock down one side of the field on his own.

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