Jaycee Horn is the NFL's highest-paid cornerback. Perhaps not for much longer, but not many throughout Carolina Panthers franchise history have held that distinction.
But make no mistake, Horn remains relentless in his quest to get the Panthers where they want to go.
With several established figures departing, Horn is looking to lead from the front. He's one of the team's cornerstone pieces and is taking the responsibility seriously. The shutdown corner is also keen to ensure his teammates adopt the same focus with organized team activities on the not-too-distant horizon.
Jaycee Horn urges Carolina Panthers teammates to raise standards in 2025
Horn issued a rallying cry to teammates, proclaiming this is the time when Carolina needs to kick on after displaying some encouraging signs over the second half of 2024. The former first-round pick acknowledged there are some things to clean up, but he's left no doubt about the mindset and standards expected when everyone gets together once again.
"Now I feel like it's a year we have to make a change, it's time to go, it's attitude. We should be pissed off when we get to Week 1, especially about the performance we had as a defense. We were on the wrong side of history in some categories and how much we gave up. To me, and I feel like to anybody on that defense, if you're a part of it, that should piss you off. So I feel like, just going to OTAs, we've got to tighten up on a lot of the details and just have a different attitude when it comes to approaching this next season and realizing that it starts right now."Jaycee Horn via Panthers.com
This is exactly why the Panthers identified Horn as a long-term foundation for the franchise. His on-field performances need no introduction. However, his relentless mentality is infectious and something others can feed off.
The bar for defensive improvements isn't high. Ejiro Evero's unit conceded the most single-season points in NFL history and gave up over 3,000 rushing yards at 179.8 per game. It was a complete embarrassment almost from start to finish. Horn will be striving with everything he has to turn the tide.
Carolina's additions over the early stages of free agency offer encouragement for defensive improvements. Evero's 3-4 front looks solid. The acquisition of Patrick Jones II adds to the edge-rushing options at the team's disposal. Tre'von Moehrig's run-stopping prowess on the backend is only going to help.
The personnel looks much improved. Derrick Brown is returning after a long-term injury. Horn has the same cornerback partner after Mike Jackson Sr. penned a new deal. Couple this with some likely high-end prospects coming on board via the 2025 NFL Draft, and things are looking up.
Horn has more responsibility on his shoulders than most. With bigger money comes raised expectations. Looking at his performances last season and the fact he stayed relatively free of any major injuries, it's a challenge he's sure to relish.
If his teammates live up to their end of the bargain, Carolina could legitimately enter the NFC South title race with a little bit of luck along the way.