The Carolina Panthers have suffered yet another unfortunate injury in their game against the Houston Texans. After star running back Christian McCaffrey was carted off due to a hamstring injury, the Panthers had to take rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn out of the game due to an apparent non-contact leg injury.
Here’s what happened to #Panthers CB Jaycee Horn. It's a non-contact injury and he immediately signals for help. A lot of breath holding for the #Panthers right now.pic.twitter.com/VbibSvnkgc
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2021
Horn immediately called to help after falling down, which isn't a good sign for Panthers fans.
#Panthers rookie CB Jaycee Horn is now being carted to the locker room. He immediately called for help when it happened. #CARvsHOU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2021
The Panthers rookie was eventually helped off the field, as he was unable to put any weight on his injured leg.
Oh no. #Panthers first-round rookie CB Jaycee Horn is being helped off the field and he can't put any weight on his right leg. #CARvsHOU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2021
A few minutes after Horn's exit, Ian Rapoport reports that the cornerback suffered a foot injury, and will not return to the game.
#Panthers CB Jaycee Horn is out with a foot injury. @JamesPalmerTV reports he was taken immediately for XRays.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2021
This has been a disastrous game for the Panthers, who came into their game against the Texans with an undefeated 2-0 record. They already lost their running back McCaffrey to a hamstring injury earlier in the game. Now, their rookie quarterback has gone down to a non-contact leg injury, which is almost always bad news for any athlete. It's also distressing that Horn apparently grabbed his foot when he fell down.
He was helped off the field and put no weight on his right leg. https://t.co/WLVLZWYQG1
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 24, 2021
Jaycee Horn was drafted by the Carolina Panthers eighth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he was considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive players of the class. The Panthers were definitely looking for him to be a key player in the franchise's future as well as have an immediate impact today. The team has to hope that their prized pick did not suffer a serious, career-changing injury this early in his career. For now, though, they need to survive against the Houston Texans. After that, they can deal with the aftermath of the two big injuries to their team.