Josh Reynolds’ was 3 yards ahead of Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn and looking for the ball.

When the New York Jets receiver looked back at the Panthers’ 6 for Tyrod Taylor’s pass, Horn was at the 9. Help approached, but safety Tre’von Moehrig trailed by 5 yards. 

For a struggling franchise that has not reached the playoffs since 2017, the Panthers’ moment appeared familiar: the defense yields a big play and allows an opponent to take control. Not this time. 
Darius Butler called out Horn’s closing effort, resulting in an athletic, one-handed interception, on the “Pat McAfee Show.” 

“This is what you call not panicking … going up, high pointing this thing with one hand,” Darius Butler, a nine-year NFL veteran said. “Not only getting an interception but getting a one-hander.
“This is absolutely nasty.”

It was the first of two Horn pickoffs in Carolina’s (4-3) 13-6 win.

And highly rated by the Panthers’ offensive playmakers.

“Aw, man, that was a 10 out of 10,” running back Trevor Etienne said. “It was a critical moment in the game. We needed a turnover, and he made a great play on the ball.”

Jimmy Horn Jr. echoed his fellow rookie.

“I give it a 10 out of 10,” the wide receiver said. “The ball-tracking … he chased it down. He got it.”

“I take my hat off to him,” wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan added. “It was nice.”

Playing up to contract

Walking through the locker room after Wednesday’s practice, Horn was asked what his father, Joe, said about the one-handed catch.

“He said it was a good play,” Horn said with a grin and a shrug. “He didn’t give me much props for it.”

The elder Horn played 12 NFL seasons, proving to be one of the top wide receivers during his era. The younger Horn, who signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension last offseason, continues trying to prove he was worth the investment.

Butler, a host of the “Everything DB” podcast, pointed out a several things about the 2021 No. 8 overall draft pick.  

“The only thing you can say about Jaycee Horn is, hey, you need some more ball production and just staying healthy,” Butler said. “And you’re seeing more and more of that this year.”  

Entering 2025 with five interceptions over his first four seasons while missing 29 games due to injuries, Horn often displayed the physical tools to be an elite cornerback, but failed to back it up over consistently. He again proved to be the Panthers’ CB1 last season, dressing for 15 games and posting 13 pass defenses and one interception.

Insiders, however, questioned the price tag of Horn’s contract, which at the time made what some believed was an unproven commodity, the richest CB in league history.

Not coach Dave Canales, who relayed a previously unknown story about Horn. During the Week 3 blowout loss to New England, Horn suffered from a severe illness he didn’t want anyone to know about. His four-time Pro Bowl father told him to gut it out. He did.

“Just a really incredible competitor,” Canales said. “This isn’t public knowledge, but he went into the Patriots’ game pretty sick and he had to get some fluids and overcome that part. I didn’t find out about that until afterwards.
“He just kind of said, ‘My dad called me and said, ‘look, nobody cares you’re sick, they’re going to try to go after you regardless. You’ve got to go out there and play.’

“He played his butt off in that game.” 

Dave Canales: Horn ‘brings that mentality every week’  

It would be fair to call Joe Horn an old-school player. He remains remembered for his touchdown celebration on Dec. 14, 2003. As a member of the New Orleans Saints, Horn famously retrieved a flip cell phone under the goalpost padding and pretended to dial and after scoring a touchdown. 

Asked if he ever thought about channeling the act to pay homage to his father, similar to what Michael Thomas did in November 20218, the younger Horn said: “It’s tough. You can’t really tell when you’re going to get an interception and a pick-six is even rarer.  

“I’ve got to figure out another way to pay homage to him.”  

One way would be to continue trending as a ball hawk. Horn’s three interceptions this season – two one-handers – rank third in the league. Despite opposing quarterbacks targeting Mike Jackson more often, Horn collected three passes defended and 10 tackles (seven solo).   

“He brings that mentality every week, to challenge everything,” Canales said. “He wants to be at the point of attack. He wants quarterbacks to try him and he came up with two big plays (against the Jets).” 

Capping his first professional two-interception game, Horn held near-perfect position against Reynolds on a go route. The Panthers’ secondary often plays zone coverage, but Horn found himself one-on-one. He reached up with both hands to end the Jets’ second-to-last drive, helping to seal the Panthers’ first three-game winning streak since the 2021 season. They return Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills (4-2).  

Canales, a former receivers coach, preferred Horn’s technique on the second interception.  

“I try to tell guys two hands for beginners,” Canales joked. “He doesn’t have a lot of catches in his pro career.”

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