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Jaycee Horn's impressive start to 2024 has him positioned for lucrative contract extension

Matt Alquiza

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Jaycee Horn’s 2024 season got off to an inauspicious start. 

The Panthers number one corner was involved on the Saints opening touchdown in week one’s bloodbath as the primary cover on speedy receiver Rashid Shaheed. We don’t know the Panthers coverage rules, and there’s no way of knowing if Horn or the play side safety made the error, but regardless, Horn was in coverage on the play and watched from behind as Shaheed waltzed into the end zone.

Horn had a quiet afternoon following the opening touchdown (the Saints didn’t target him at all the rest of the game), but he was thrust into the spotlight immediately in week two. 

The veteran corner's emotional swings in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers could be central to the plot of the next "Inside Out" film. Joy when he punched the ball out and forced a fumble. Disappointment when it was reviewed and ruled as an incompletion. Anger when he gave up the big touchdown to Quentin Johnston. Elation when he hauled in his first interception of 2024. It was rocky, but overall positive outside of the perfect throw and catch executed by Johnston and quarterback Justin Herbert.

Following the loss to the Chargers, Horn lamented on his poor start to the season to congregated media in the Panthers locker room. “I gave up the explosive play downfield. That was the start of it, and it just rolled from there.” Fortunately, he didn’t let the team’s, or his own, poor start deter his confidence in week three when was offered the opportunity to shadow one of the league’s premier wide receivers, Davante Adams.

Jaycee Horn unequivocally won his matchup against Adams, holding the All Pro receiver to two catches for 40 yards on a total of four coverage targets. Adams got the seatbelt treatment that the Panthers expected Horn to strap on opposing receivers when they drafted him in the top ten of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of South Carolina. 

Horn is at a crossroads in his career. He’s spent the vast majority of his career on the bench in slings and walking boots instead of on the field in the pocket of his opposition. When given the chance, Horn is as good as defensive back in the league when it comes to manning up elite receivers. He just hasn’t had the chance, and his contractual status reflects that. 

Horn is still playing on his rookie deal. The Panthers exercised his fifth-year option, locking him down through the 2025 season, but not a second further. He has had to sit back and bide his time as he’s watched his contemporaries such as Patrick Surtain, L’Jarius Sneed, A.J. Terrell, and Trevon Diggs lock down life-changing contracts. Horn has coverage ability that can match anybody in the league. But as the famous saying goes, the best ability is availability, and that unfortunately is the lone ability that Horn has lacked in his young career.

Through three games, Jaycee Horn has played 100% of the snaps. He spent the offseason bulking up and working on his body in order to stay on the field week in and week out. Keeping that perfect snap streak is imperative to him earning a contract in line with those corners that signed before him. B/R reported this summer that the Panthers are ‘preparing to pay top dollar’ for Horn, and his early play in 2024 is only raising that dollar amount even higher. 

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Matt Alquiza
MATT ALQUIZA

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