For years, Carolina Panthers fans have been screaming into the void. They insisted Jaycee Horn was an elite cornerback. They insisted he was more than the injuries, and that there was a reason he was drafted over Patrick Surtain II. And for years, the NFL didn’t seem to agree.
That ends now.
Horn is currently tied for the league lead among cornerbacks with five interceptions alongside breakout Chicago Bears corner Nahshon Wright. Only safety Kevin Byard has more picks among all defensive backs with six.
The former South Carolina star's ascension has been defined by moments that reshape games — and sometimes entire weeks. His two-interception game against the San Francisco 49ers was his second multi-pick game this campaign, joining his showing against the New York Jets.
Jaycee Horn is finally winning the national recognition Carolina Panthers fans craved for him
So far, Horn has showcased exactly why the Panthers gave him a four-year, $100 million contract extension this offseason, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history at the time. He's a franchise cornerstone who is now getting the respect fans demanded.
The Panthers need him, too. His absence versus the Los Angeles Rams highlighted how central Horn is to everything this defense does. Now, with Pro Bowl fan voting rolling in, the rest of the NFL is finally catching up.
Horn leads all cornerbacks in fan voting for the Pro Bowl Games, a long-overdue recognition for a player who has quietly become one of the league’s most dominant defenders. And he’s doing it despite missing Carolina's remarkable win over the Rams with a concussion.
The No. 8 pick in 2021 isn’t the only Panthers player showing up on the league’s ballot. Running back Rico Dowdle ranks seventh at his position, while Tre'von Moehrig sits seventh among strong safeties. Strangely, Derrick Brown isn’t even in the top 10 at defensive tackle despite playing at an All-Pro level.
But Horn’s rise to No. 1 among cornerbacks tells the story of a star whose reputation is no longer just local.
The Panthers are beginning to "write their own story", as players noted after their win over the Rams. For Bryce Young, for the emerging run game, for a defense that keeps showing up in the most significant moments, this season has finally turned the tide.
But no player in Carolina embodies that shift more than Horn.
He’s making quarterbacks think twice. And now, finally, the rest of the league is acknowledging what Panthers fans have been shouting for years...
Their franchise cornerstone is one of the NFL’s best, and the respect is long overdue.