When Jaycee Horn arrived at Bank of America Stadium on Friday to sign his record-breaking $100 million contract extension, he wore a chain that was connected to a silver pennant with the word “strap” laid across his chest like the emblem of a Marvel or DC superhero.
And while general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales aren’t expecting Horn to be Superman — though, Mr. Fantastic might suffice — the Carolina Panthers are hoping he lives up to the pennant of his choosing. Shutdown cornerbacks are known for strapping down playmakers in coverage, and Horn, in particular, likes to reference a seat belt every time he makes a big play on a big-time receiver.
“That name, kind of similar to seat belt — we say both of them — seat belt or strap,” Horn said with a beaming smile. “Yeah, that’s just what it is.”
Horn, coming off his first Pro Bowl selection, is now in the driver’s seat when it comes to functioning as a face of the franchise.
The 2021 first-round pick’s new deal is a record-setting payout for an NFL defensive back, and Horn — along with defensive end Derrick Brown, right guard Robert Hunt and running back Chuba Hubbard — is among the few pillar players on a roster that is looking to finally get into the playoffs after years of letdowns.
“I feel like we’re not far away,” Horn said.
Horn, 25, is coming off a career year. He finally played the bulk of a season without feeling like a constant injury concern. After years of mid-season ailments, Horn was able to play in 15 games, while producing 68 tackles, two sacks, 13 pass breakups and an interception.
According to Pro Football Reference, Horn allowed an opposing completion percentage of 53.2% when targeted. And while he missed the final two games of the season as a precaution because of a groin injury, Horn laid the groundwork for his new long-term deal with his play on the field when the Panthers were trying to dig themselves out of an early 2024 hole.
He became a vocal leader with Brown sidelined, and he wasn’t afraid to let his voice be heard — as Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton can attest from their exchange during a blowout loss for Carolina.
He also learned a lot from longtime leader Shaq Thompson, who is expected to depart the franchise through free agency after 10 seasons.
“Shaq meant a lot to me, for sure,” Horn said. “Just seeing how he goes about his business, seeing how he leads the group. And I’m not as vocal as him (laughs), but I try to do my part a little bit, by leading by example and also being a little bit more vocal than I was in the past.”
Horn’s contract extension agreement made headlines shortly after longtime teammates, center Austin Corbett and tight end Tommy Tremble, agreed to new deals over the previous weekend. The Panthers would go on to re-sign cornerback Mike Jackson, offensive lineman Brady Christensen and wide receiver Dan Chisena in the following hours and days.
The Panthers also gave veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen a raise Wednesday following back-to-back seasons of being the team’s leading receiver for QB Bryce Young.
Rewarding the team’s top contributors was clearly important to the Panthers’ top decision makers.
“That’s some of the things they talked about — what I talked about with Coach Canales before the season — and they (were) telling me that message, like, ‘You go perform, and we’re going to take care of you,’” Horn said. “And so, everybody’s trying to go out there to do their best, so they can get rewarded.”
Along with the focus on rewarding their own, the Panthers also strategically went after notable defensive upgrades in free agency.
The team agreed to terms with safety Tre’von Moerhig, nose tackle Bobby Brown III, outside linebacker Patrick Jones II, defensive end Tershawn Wharton and linebacker Christian Rozeboom in the early days of negotiations.
The Panthers had the worst scoring and rushing defense in the league last year. Horn, though, believes the front office and coaching staff are dead-set on fixing those woes.
“It’s means it’s time — it’s time to win,” Horn said. “I’ve been here four years now, ain’t done a lot of winning, and I feel like we’re getting all the pieces in place to do that.”
With Horn and Brown returning to lead the defense — while also being under contract for the next several years — the Panthers have homegrown talent to build around for the foreseeable future. And the recent onslaught of free-agent additions could just be the start of building up a unit that struggled mightily last season.
If all goes well, the Panthers won’t need a seat belt for their journey ahead. In Horn, they already have one.
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida.