Jimmy Horn Jr. made an outstanding start to his journey with the Carolina Panthers. But it didn't take long for this promising early momentum to come screeching to an abrupt halt.
Horn's arrival as a sixth-round pick went completely under the radar, especially considering the Panthers took Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall. However, his explosiveness, speed, and work ethic drew significant plaudits throughout Carolina's rookie minicamp. He carried this on during organized team activities, which only whetted the appetite further about his rookie impact in 2025.
Carolina Panthers must proceed cautiously with Jimmy Horn Jr.'s hamstring problem
The former Colorado standout suffered his first bump in the road at a bad time. Horn was nowhere to be seen at OTAs available to the media on Tuesday. Dave Canales revealed that the wideout is rehabbing a hamstring issue that cropped up recently. There didn't appear to be much long-term concern, and the head coach remains confident the versatile weapon can become a major asset when the regular season commences.
"We're just rehabbing him. He's in return to play, and then as soon as we feel like he's ready to get back out there, we'll bring him back out. Jimmy gives us a lot of options. There's some perimeter things we can do with him, the jet sweep game, but then also, like just from his college film, he's a receiver first and foremost. He can stretch the field. He can separate, and he's got a lot of energy and passion he plays with, so he's going to give himself a great chance to help us."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
In some ways, this happened at a good time. We are still months away from Carolina's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Had this occurred closer to Week 1, it would have been a much bigger problem.
Time is on Horn's side. And he's already showcased enough promise to keep his foot in the door regardless of how long it takes to heal.
Horn is a quick-twitch player, so hamstring complications are always a danger. The Panthers won't throw him back into the mix until he is 100 percent ready. There's no need for that — not at this stage of the team's preparations.
Hopefully, it's nothing more than a minor issue, and Horn can continue to stack good practices upon his return. The Panthers' wide receiver room is crowded, but the first-year pro has an extra level of dynamism that can assist on the offensive rotation and special teams as a kick returner.
That's what the Panthers want from Horn. Taking every possible precaution with his injury blip will go a long way to achieving this objective.