Jaycee Horn will become the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history after agreeing to a four-year extension with the Carolina Panthers through the 2029 season, it was announced Monday.
The deal, negotiated by Trevon Smith and David Mulugheta, is for $100 million and includes $70 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It averages $25 million per season and could reach a maximum of $108 million with incentives, sources told ESPN.
Horn, the No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft, earned his first Pro Bowl selection after finishing with a career-high 68 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception for the Panthers this past season.
The Panthers had earlier picked up the fifth-year option of Horn’s rookie deal, but they made it clear that signing him to a long-term deal was a priority in making him one of the cornerstones of the defense.
“Jaycee is obviously the focal point of the defense, somebody that we’re going to want here long-term,” general manager Dan Morgan said at the NFL scouting combine.
Horn made it clear this past season that staying healthy was his focus after injuries limited him to 22 out of 51 games in his first three seasons. He played 98% of the defensive snaps in 15 games in 2024.
Horn said after the season that being on the field helped slow the game down for him.
“I’m just excited to get back next year and try to stack them up,” he said.
Coach Dave Canales noted at the combine that Horn not only showed growth on the field but also in the locker room as a leader.
“I saw a guy that was just so focused on helping the team, on being out there, on making sure that his body was right,” Canales said. “I wasn’t around Jaycee before [2024], but what I saw was just his professionalism.
“I just saw him give us something so solid and stable for the other guys to see: ‘This is how you achieve excellence.'”
