Report: Panthers' Jaycee Horn Placed on IR; Injury Not Believed to Be Season-Ending

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn has been placed on the injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury Sunday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Horn will miss at the least the next four games for the Panthers but is expected to return this season, per Rapoport.

Cornerback CJ Henderson said he expects to start against the New Orleans Saints on Monday in Horn's absence, per The Athletic's Joseph Person.

Horn left in the second quarter of the Panthers' season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons after suffering a non-contact injury to his hamstring.

Panthers head coach Frank Reich said Horn felt a "pop" in his hamstring following his 20th snap of the game, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.

Reich added that surgery was "on the table" for Horn.

Horn has already undergone multiple surgeries since he was selected by the Panthers with the No. 8 pick of the 2021 draft. He has now suffered serious injuries in each of his first three NFL seasons that have so far limited him to playing in 17 of a possible 35 games.

The cornerback broke three bones in his right foot in Week 3 of his rookie 2021 season. He ended up undergoing surgery and missing the rest of the campaign.

Horn then suffered a broken wrist in Week 15 of the 2022 season. That necessitated another surgery that cut short Horn's breakout campaign, during which he had racked up 53 combined tackles. Without their top corner, the Panthers narrowly missed the playoffs.

Heading into the 2023 season, Horn suffered an injury to his left ankle that caused him to miss OTAs and minicamp, although he said he felt "100 percent" at the start of training camp.

The Panthers will now have to prepare to play without him at least through Week 6, when Horn would be eligible to return from IR.

Horn isn't the only starter Carolina lost in Week 1. Left guard Brady Christensen joined Horn on IR after suffering a likely season-ending bicep injury.