The Carolina Panthers have some huge decisions to make in their wide receiver room with final cuts imminent. And mystery is now clouding one athletic pass-catcher who was considered a lock to make the team once upon a time.
Dan Morgan and Dave Canales can't take everybody onto their 53-man roster. Good players will get the chance to catch on somewhere else. Some will come back onto the practice squad, but this is all part of the league's cutthroat nature at this time of year.
Canales sat his starters and some key rotational options for Carolina's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those right on the fringes got an extended look, and those whose futures could go either way also got a chance to convince the coaching staff they are worthy of involvement.
Jimmy Horn Jr. should still make Carolina Panthers roster despite fresh uncertainty
Fans were perplexed when Jimmy Horn Jr. wasn't seen until the second half. Speculation rose about the rookie's future on social media, but Canales stated this was merely to give everyone a fair shot as part of the team's ongoing evaluations.
"We just had to spread the work out to try and get evaluations of all the guys. I was happy to see Jimmy [Horn Jr.] get in there and make a couple of plays."Dave Canales
Horn brought in his only target for 13 receiving yards. The former Colorado standout also handled three kick returns, securing 59 combined yards at an average of 19.7.
Still, it's not hard to see why there is some concern building among the fan base regarding Horn's status. It would be a surprise if he didn't make the team, but his strong start earlier this summer wasn't sustained over training camp and the preseason.
His path was as a returner but he hasn’t been getting reps https://t.co/fU5dFyJ7v0
— The 4 Man Rush (@4ourmanrush) August 22, 2025
That matters, especially with other Panthers wideouts catching the eye.
Much will also depend on how many receiver places Carolina allocates. Morgan said on the latest edition of The Blueprint that he'd like six. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik was advocating for seven, so it'll be interesting to see what direction they take.
Either way, it would be a bombshell of epic proportions if the Panthers gave up on Horn so soon. He's a special-teams contributor and has the physical skills to be impactful on the offensive rotation with a little extra polish. It's also worth remembering that this is a developmental staff, so cutting the wideout before they've had a full season to work with him doesn't fall into this ethos whatsoever.
This time of year always comes with overreactions. Nothing should be completely dismissed, but expect to see Horn on the team in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.