The Carolina Panthers placed a substantial amount of faith in cornerback Jaycee Horn this offseason. This brings added expectations that must be met during the 2025 campaign and way into the future.
Horn embarked on a crossroads campaign in 2024. The former first-round pick was undeniably talented. However, he'd developed an injury-prone tag that needed to be shaken off as a matter of urgency.
To say he accomplished this feat would be an understatement. Horn played 15 games, which represented a huge positive. He earned a Pro Bowl selection after becoming one of the league's best shutdown presences on the boundary. That was enough for general manager Dan Morgan to reward him accordingly.
Jaycee Horn must meet increased expectations after Carolina Panthers extension
Morgan wants to reward those drafted by the Panthers who prove their worth. Horn became the latest example, signing a four-year, $100 million extension that comes with a $28.4 million signing bonus and $72 million guaranteed. He's gone from a promising player to a franchise cornerstone — someone tasked with leading from the front and providing Carolina with exceptional standards on and off the field.
Joe Person from The Athletic believes it added pressure on Horn. The insider challenged the former South Carolina standout to match his lofty price tag by stacking Pro Bowl-caliber campaigns and cementing his status among the NFL's elite.
"[Jaycee] Horn’s four-year, $100 million deal briefly made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, a title he held for a week until the Houston Texans signed Derek Stingley to a three-year extension worth an average of $30 million a year. With that money comes more responsibility for Horn, who needs to start stacking Pro Bowl appearances (he made his first last season) while remaining a shutdown corner."Joe Person
Getting paid is one thing. Living up to the financial outlay is something else entirely.
There's nothing to suggest Horn isn't capable. He is a supreme athlete with a fierce inner drive to be the best. The Panthers did nothing to enhance their cornerback room this offseason, so the onus will be on the No. 8 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft to take his game to new heights moving forward.
Horn cannot do it alone. Mike Jackson Sr. must also live up to his new deal, and Chau Smith-Wade needs to build on his rookie flashes. Even that might not be enough, so don't be surprised if Morgan brings another capable performer into the mix unless someone like Akayleb Evans,
Shemar Bartholomew, or MJ Devonshire came on quicker than expected.
Regardless, Horn must lead the way. The money given to him by the Panthers dictates that.