The Carolina Panthers are heading into their most crucial game since the 2022 season when they travel to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. And it sees head coach Dave Canales' squad face a player who carried this team on his back for years.
This is the first time the Panthers have faced running back Christian McCaffrey since trading him to the Niners. The All-Pro is still widely regarded as one of the league's most prolific dual-threat backfield threats, but those in power at the time thought that cashing in was the correct call.
Whether they were right or not is moot. A lot has changed since then, for both sides. There aren't many players left from McCaffrey's stint in Carolina. One of those is cornerback Jaycee Horn, who lifted the lid on what the former Stanford star meant to the franchise before he was mercilessly removed from the equation.
Jaycee Horn lauds Christian McCaffrey's impact before Carolina Panthers meet their old RB
Horn had nothing but good things to say about McCaffrey. The defensive back learned a significant amount from him, and this wasn't just on the field.
"Not just a great player, (but) one of the best guys I've seen lace them up. Just all he did for this organization, the type of leader he was for me as a young player coming in here, just everything—he did everything right; pre-practice, post-practice, did everything right, taking care of his body, his diet. As a young guy, it meant a lot watching him while I was rising here."Jaycee Horn via Panthers.com
It's hard to look at how things have unfolded for the Panthers since the trade and think they won this deal. The tide is turning now, but it's been a rough ride to get themselves to this point. McCaffrey's been a superstar in San Francisco, and with quarterback Brock Purdy now back from injury, this is going to be a stern test for Ejiro Evero's improving defense.
There will be smiles, hugs, and emotional reunions before the game. But McCaffrey, Horn, and everyone else who was around at the time will be all business when the whistle goes. And the running back would like nothing more than to make his old team pay for deeming him expendable, even if he'd never say it publicly.
Horn knows the type of competitor McCaffrey is. He'll relay that to his teammates, though the Panthers could be without their two starting linebackers in prime time. That makes things more difficult, but meeting fire with fire is absolutely imperative.
It'll be fascinating to watch things unfold.