NFL insider rips Panthers to shreds over massive Jaycee Horn extension

Jaycee Horn's $100 million deal wasn't totally popular.

Nov 24, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) tries to elude Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Jaycee Horn signed the largest contract by a defensive back in NFL history. While that so rarely indicates a historic player given the rising salary caps and inflation, it does suggest that the Carolina Panthers have an elite cornerback in the building. GM Dan Morgan certainly believes they do.

That's not the prevailing sentiment by everyone. There are questions about how much they paid, although it's worth noting that in the future, Horn's deal will more than likely be surpassed by Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. extensions. That said, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame was particularly unhappy with Carolina's deal.

Verderame gave the deal a brutal D- grade. He said "Horn, 25, was a 2021 first-round pick about to enter the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. Instead, he’s now locked up through ’29. It’s a huge payday for Horn, who has played only 37 games across four years due to various injuries. However, Horn made his first Pro Bowl last season, notching 13 passes defensed and an interception. That said, Horn got a record-breaking deal despite not being a star corner in the way Patrick Surtain II, Trent McDuffie, and others are of a similar age."

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) runs on to the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Horn has missed plenty of time with injury, and he is prone to committing penalties a lot at times. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs game, where DeAndre Hopkins seemingly got Horn flagged on nearly every target.

Still, the Panthers knew they wanted and probably needed to keep Horn. Perhaps more importantly, Horn, despite playing through some incredibly lean years in his first foray into the NFL, wanted to stick around.

The two sides came to an agreement to kickstart the NFL's free agency frenzy in Charlotte, but at what cost? According to Verderame, it's a cost too great for an injury-prone player who's not quite as good as some of his peers.

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