The Houston Texans won't be seeing one of the top defenders on the field for the Carolina Panthers during their preseason matchup over the weekend.
According to Panthers head coach Dave Canales, cornerback Jaycee Horn won't be available on Saturday vs. the Texans.
Horn did not suit up for Carolina's joint practice against Houston on Thursday, and will go on to be absent for this weekend's action as he still isn't ready to get back to football activities.
Jaycee Horn will not play on Saturday vs Texans
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) August 14, 2025
Horn, the Panthers' 25-year-old corner entering his fifth year with the team, had to get stitches around his left thumb earlier this offseason after sustaining injuries to his hand in a car crash. He inevitably had to miss Carolina's first preseason game last Friday against the Cleveland Browns, and will now prepare to miss his second straight outing vs. Houston.
According to Horn himself, once getting the stitches removed from his hand, he sees himself back to full speed before the regular season, which does calm any expectation of the Panther's top defensive back missing any time once September rolls around, but keeps him out of the mix against the Texans and their offense led by C.J. Stroud.
During Horn's last year in the mix for the Panthers, he had 15 games to start in each, logging 68 combined tackles, 13 passes defended, along with an interception en route to his first Pro Bowl selection of the year. The eighth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has since emerged as one of the best talents at his position, and inevitably a huge factor of any hopes of a strong Carolina defense in 2025.
WIthout Horn in the lineup, it leaves the Panthers to turn to an interesting cast of names, including veteran Mike Jackson, Akayleb Evans, and second-year talent Shemar Bartholomew. Far from the same unit with their number-one guy lining up on the opposite side of Houston, and could end up posing some notable matchup issues, even in preseason.
So for Saturday, it looks like Stroud, if active, and this receiving corps will have an easier task against this Panthers secondary, and could help take this group to a 1-1 record for their first two preliminary showings of the year.
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