The Carolina Panthers are preparing for their joint practice against the Cleveland Browns, but one of their key players on defense will not be on the field, according to Ari Meirov of The33rdTeamFB.
“Panthers CB Jaycee Horn was involved in a car accident Wednesday morning and will not practice today. Per the team, he was alone in the car when the incident occurred at the corner of Mint and Morehead Streets. No one was transported by emergency personnel,” Meirov wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
As far as Horn's status, he is okay and will be fine, according to ESPN's David Newton. It's not certain if he'll be available to play in their first preseason game, but it would not be a surprise if they sat him.
Horn is an important part of the Panthers' defense, which showed strides toward the end of last season. Early in the offseason, the Panthers signed Horn to a four-year, $100 million extension, which made him the highest-paid cornerback at that time.
There's no doubt that Horn deserved the contract, and he's seen as one of the better cornerbacks in the league, especially this young in his career. Horn was the No. 8 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season after finishing with 68 tackles, two sacks, and one interception.
The Panthers are looking to make some improvements as a team this season, and it will start with players such as Horn, who will have to help lead the team. On offense, Bryce Young will have to be that guy, and toward the end of last season, he showed a lot of growth and poise. The hope is that he can bring that play into this season, and the Panthers can raise their win total from last year, which was just five wins.
