The Carolina Panthers were confident a contract agreement could be reached ahead of time with Jaycee Horn. Dan Morgan got the job done with just a few short hours before the legal tampering window began.
According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, the Panthers are Horn reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension. And as expected, it wasn't cheap.
Carolina Panthers' extension with Jaycee Horn is impeccably timed
Horn's deal is for $100 million and worth $25 million per season. The former first-round pick got $70 million guaranteed, which represents an emphatic commitment by the Panthers after the shutdown cornerback proved his health in 2024.
This is the second offseason in succession where Morgan got something done with a cornerstone piece before things got more complicated. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown got a bumper contract heading into his fifth-year option. Horn got the same courtesy after emerging as one of the league's most prolific boundary coverage presences last season.
Horn got a much better run on the injury front last season. He featured 15 times and was the only positive on Carolina's woeful defense. The fact he was named to the Pro Bowl despite Ejiro Evero's unit giving up the most single-season points in league history spoke volumes.
This has more benefits than one. It secures Horn's services throughout his prime. It's also going to save the Panthers some money in the long run given the pending cornerback market explosion that's imminent.
The likes of Sauce Garnder and Derek Stingley Jr. are on the lookout for new deals sooner rather than later. They are going to reset the market at some stage, which would have made things more difficult for the Panthers to get Horn on decent money.
That's not how Morgan operates. He recognizes a player's importance and strikes with conviction to get things finalized. It's another sign of the professional front-office culture shift and should also free up funds this offseason to spend elsewhere.
Horn is an exceptional performer who's only going to get better. He's elite in coverage and an outstanding force against the run. This is the sort of player to build around. Looking at the defensive changes expected in the coming days, tying down the South Carolina product makes a ton of sense.
There is some slight risk attached looking at Horn's injury history over his first three seasons in the league. He only featured in 22 games during that span, so the Panthers are betting big that his upturn in conditioning is the start of an encouraging trend.
And now, attention turns to incomings.