Jaycee Horn is an integral part of the Carolina Panthers' long-term plans. He's a franchise cornerstone who cemented his status among the league's best shutdown cornerbacks last season. He's riding on the crest of a wave, but one concerning development left fans breathing a collective sigh of relief.
There was no sign of Horn on the field for joint practice against the Cleveland Browns. Most reporters in attendance thought he might be getting a veteran rest day, but it was something completely different.
Jaycee Horn was involved in a car accident en route to Carolina Panthers practice
The Panthers confirmed that Horn wouldn't practice after being involved in a car accident on his way to practice. The former first-round pick was alone in the car, and nobody was taken to the emergency room following the incident. However, Carolina is rightfully erring on the side of caution nonetheless.
"According to a team spokesman, [Jaycee] Horn was alone in his car when the incident occurred at the corner of Mint and Morehead Streets. No one involved in the incident was transported by emergency medical personnel. Horn has been evaluated by team medical personnel and won't be involved in today's joint practice with the Browns."Darin Gantt, Panthers.com
This is the second car accident involving Panthers players in recent months. Veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton lost his starting job when a road collision resulted in a sprained finger. That saw quarterback Bryce Young come back from the bench, and the rest is history.
Now, it's Horn on the receiving end of a crash. And again, it could have been much worse than just having to miss practice.
The fact that he got to walk away and didn't get any emergency treatment was a major positive. He's a competitive guy, so not practicing is obviously disappointing versus NFL opposition rather than teammates. At the same time, the Panthers need to look at the bigger picture.
Carolina's defense isn't going to get very far without Horn this season. Taking every possible precaution following this scare is crucial.