Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales addressed the surprising early exit of cornerback Jaycee Horn and clarified the timeline of events before the fourth-year veteran was ruled out. He explained that after initially taking a big hit, things escalated once Horn entered the locker room at halftime and began showing symptoms that triggered the Panthers injury protocol and training staff to step in.

ESPN's David Newton shared the video of Canales on X (formerly known as Twitter), explaining what led to the defensive back being pulled early for the night after the 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

“Dave Canales on Jaycee Horn concussion.”

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He added further context about how the situation unfolded once Horn entered the locker room, outlining when the symptoms became more concerning.

“Present as a head injury initially, and then once he came in for the half, you know that’s when it started to really materialize. So when he came out, he was feeling nauseous and all that. Those are signs that our training staff took and said okay, this is, we got to make sure we do further evaluation on that.”

Horn’s exit came after two interceptions in the first half vs. the 49ers. The Panthers injury woes in the secondary worsened as the Carolina squad lost their top cover man just as the game hung in the balance. The loss on Monday Night exposed how fragile a playoff push can be when your defense loses a key player and the offense fails to capitalize.

Despite the Panthers forcing three turnovers in the first half, the offense delivered just one field goal. With Horn sidelined, the momentum shifted and the 49ers tightened up. For Canales, the explanation was clear and direct — player safety first, then game strategy. The Panthers now enter a critical period where managing the injury to Horn and evaluating the depth of their secondary injury list will matter as much as game planning, especially with their season hanging in the balance.