NFL Rumors: Jaycee Horn's $12.5M Panthers Contract Option Picked Up for 2025 Season

A busy weekend for the Carolina Panthers continued with cornerback Jaycee Horn set to have his fifth-year option picked up.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Panthers intend to exercise their $12.5 million option on Horn's rookie deal for the 2025 season.

Teams have until May 2 to officially exercise the fifth-year option for first-round picks from the 2021 draft.

Horn's option wasn't necessarily a given because of his injury history. He has missed time in each of his first three seasons, including 14 games as a rookie due to a foot fracture and 11 games last season due to a hamstring issue.

The healthiest year of Horn's career was in 2022 when he only missed four games. He was fantastic that season with a 52.6 passer rating allowed, second-lowest in the league behind James Bradberry of the Philadelphia Eagles (51.8).

If Horn can stay on the field, there's reason to believe he could be one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. He had five passes defensed in just six games during the 2023 campaign.

The Panthers aren't overflowing with so much talent right now that they can afford to get into a staring contest with a player, especially when the salary Horn will be making in 2025 wouldn't rank among the top-10 average annual cornerback salaries next season.

Horn has the potential to be a foundation player for a Carolina franchise that desperately needs as much high-ceiling talent as it can get. Exercising his fifth-year option is a bet by the front office and coaching staff that he will be able to stay healthy.

It's a risk worth taking for the Panthers, as they continue to build out the rest of their roster in the draft this weekend after selecting wide receiver Xavier Legette with the final pick in the first round on Thursday.