Jaycee Horn cemented his status as a core part of the Carolina Panthers' future this season. He also made his intentions abundantly clear with contract extension talks on the immediate horizon.
Horn answered his critics emphatically throughout the campaign. He emerged as one of the premier shutdown cornerbacks league-wide. More importantly, the former first-round pick got a relatively good run of luck on the health front despite missing the final two games.
The South Carolina product earned his first Pro Bowl selection this season despite the Panthers winning five games. This individual recognition was impeccably timed with one year remaining on his current deal.
General manager Dan Morgan wants to reward those drafted by the team who prove their worth. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown got a new contract before his fifth-year option. Running back Chuba Hubbard penned a four-year extension after cementing his status as the team's starting option. The front office leader wants Horn's name added to this list sooner rather than later.
This is a business and the money must work for all parties. At the same time, the Panthers need to build around players like Horn. Making this situation more complicated than it needs to be won't be well-received by the fanbase.
Jaycee Horn wants to stay with the Carolina Panthers long-term
As for Horn? He made his intentions clear during an appearance on the Jim Rome Show. The lockdown presence wants to stay in Carolina. He's experienced plenty of turmoil since entering the league as the No. 8 overall selection in 2021, but he believes the Panthers are on an upward trajectory at long last.
"For sure, for sure. I said in an interview a couple weeks back, I'm a guy who's building on loyalty, man. And I wanna be where I was drafted. I seen those struggling days as a Panther when I first came in, and I'm even still going through them a little bit now. I know the team is going in the right direction, the organization is going in the right direction. Charlotte is a cool spot, so I'd definitely love to be there, love to be part of the change. To see the glory days."Jaycee Horn
"I'm a guy that's building on loyalty. I wanna be where I was drafted."@jayceehorn_10 on his future in Carolina pic.twitter.com/Wt08m9WI2T
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) January 16, 2025
Horn wants to stay. The Panthers want to make him a big part of the franchise's future. This should be pretty easy to figure out when push comes to shove.
Keeping Horn is going to cost the Panthers. He could get anywhere from $20-25 million per season based on his 2024 production, age, and scope for additional improvements. That would put him in the higher echelons of cornerback contracts around the league — exactly where he belongs.
The Panthers are running the front office with far more professionalism with Morgan and Brandt Tilis leading the charge. They have an aligned vision for the future and know what it's going to take to achieve their short and long-term objectives. They've also proven capable of tying up the team's top stars way ahead of time if they are deserving.
Horn ticks all the boxes and more in that regard. He's a supreme competitor, an emerging leader, and an elite-level performer capable of going toe-to-toe with the NFL's best pass-catchers. He's the definition of a core foundational piece and the Panthers should treat him as such.
It's that simple.