Jaycee Horn on contract status after fifth-year extension picked up: 'I'm focused on football'

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn is not worried about his contract status after the team picked up his fifth-year option. When speaking to reporters on Monday, Horn was asked if he was focused on signing a new deal with the Panthers heading into his fourth year with the organization.

“I’m focused on football,” Horn said. “I let agents and front office handle all that stuff. I’m just focused on football, putting good tape out there and most importantly playing out the whole season staying healthy.”

The Panthers picked up Horn’s fifth-year option on April 26. He missed most of the 2023 season due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1. In 2022, Horn had a strong season, registering 53 tackles, three interceptions and seven passes defended in 13 games.

Horn was selected by the Panthers at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, the former South Carolina Gamecocks star was placed on injured reserve due to a fractured foot and played in only three games.

“You see Jaycee around here—the work he’s putting in, the dedication, just being here every single day, busting his ass,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan told reporters after picking up Horn’s fifth-year option. “He deserved it. I think, obviously, he’s had some tough stretches with injuries. But it’s not due to a lack of work or a lack of commitment from Jaycee. So we’re excited about him, we’re excited about his future and just really excited for him.”

Jaycee Horn reacts to Panthers picking up his fifth-year option

Horn also shared his reaction to the Panthers making the contract decision on him. “It felt good just knowing they believe in me, seeing the work I put in,” he said. “Now it’s just staying on the field controlling what I can control and just playing good football.”

Horn and the rest of the Panthers will have a chip on their shoulder heading into the 2024 season. Because they finished 2023 with a 2-14 record, they are the only team in the league that doesn’t have a game that will be nationally televised. The NFL does flex certain games into a prime-time spot, beginning in Week 5, so the Panthers could get a nationally televised game if they get off to a hot start.

“We have to build something, a version of football that we’re proud of and be able to accentuate the strengths and talents of our guys that we have,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. “And then I think that the world will want to see that at some point, but we got a long way to go and we got to earn those type of opps (opportunities).”