Jaycee Horn silenced his doubters last season. The Carolina Panthers rewarded him with a megabucks extension, and one NFL analyst believes the best is yet to come from the shutdown cornerback.
Horn's talent was never in question. His capability to shut down one side of the field with minimal fuss became glaring almost immediately. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the defensive back's contribution was fleeting thanks to some frustrating injury problems over the first three years of his professional career.
The Panthers never lost faith in Horn, triggering his fifth-year option as a sign of good faith last spring. He rewarded them accordingly, putting together a consistent run of games and making the Pro Bowl as a result of his sterling efforts.
Dan Morgan had seen enough to give Horn a new four-year, $100 million deal that included a $28.4 million signing bonus and $72 million guaranteed. The former first-round pick went from a crossroads campaign to being the league's highest-paid cornerback, albeit briefly, before Derek Stingley Jr. got his extension from the Houston Texans.
Jaycee Horn tipped to enter DPOTY conversation after Carolina Panthers extension
Jacob Infante from Pro Football Network thinks this added momentum can propel Horn to even greater heights next season. The analyst thought any further improvements could even place him in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation if the team starts chalking up more wins in Year 2 under head coach Dave Canales.
"After struggles with injuries early in his career, Jaycee Horn finally put it all together in Year 4 of his tenure with the Carolina Panthers. Horn was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024, tallying 13 pass deflections and an interception in coverage. He’ll need to force more turnovers to enter Defensive Player of the Year status, but he’s now among the top cornerbacks in the game, regardless."Jacob Infante
Horn is not settling despite being paid. He sees this as a huge responsibility and is taking it seriously. He's emerging as a leader in the locker room. The South Carolina product is a franchise cornerstone others look to for inspiration. He's leading from the front, and others are only too happy to follow.
Staying healthy is the most critical element of this equation. Horn put his problems behind him last season, turning out in 15 games when he'd featured just 22 times over his first three years. That can hopefully become the norm moving forward, especially given that bigger money comes with stratospheric expectations that must be met.
The money has only motivated Horn even more. Don't be surprised if the player enters All-Pro consideration at the very least in 2025.