A favorite amongst the Carolina Panthers faithful may be here to stay.
Second-year wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. made another statement on Friday night, chalking up three eye-opening plays in Carolina's 34-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The speedy 23-year-old began his standout performance with a 29-yard kick return at the end of the first quarter, then followed that up with a 39-yard gain on an end-around and a 15-yard catch on the next two possessions.
Head coach Dave Canales was asked about Horn's outing, as well as his case for making the initial 53-man roster.
"Every single game we show up, he looks fast," Canales told reporters of Horn. "He had the nice around today. Had a nice catch down the field and had a 30-yard kick return at one point, too.
"Jimmy's making a really strong case for himself in terms of helping our team. And I'm excited to see him—especially just continue to grow in our concepts where the guys trust him, they know he's gonna be available and that's what he's doing."
Horn also spoke about his electric showing after the victory.
"It feel real good," he stated. "I'm doing something right, and just being consistent."
The Panthers selected Horn in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While he did make the team's initial roster as a rookie last season, he played sparingly—recording 15 targets over 13 games.
But if Horn continues to shine, Carolina may have to find a larger role for him somewhere—whether that be on offense or special teams . . . or both.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales says fan-favorite WR is making a 'really strong case for himself' after preseason win
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