The Carolina Panthers’ home opener Sunday was an absolute nightmare for head coach Dave Canales, whose defense allowed 59 points to the Chicago Bears in a Week 1 loss. Panthers fans are understandably concerned but they will be relieved to know that Carolina is not playing around when it comes to fixing their pass rush concerns. However, their first move of the season to try and aid the league’s worst defensive unit through week 1 came at a cost for wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., sending Panthers fans on a roller coaster of emotions.
Horn Jr. was released on Tuesday to make room for linebacker Tyrel Dodson who is coming off the practice squad. Dodson, 28, has seen time in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Dodson is also no stranger to Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan who was on staff with the Buffalo Bills when they signed him after being passed on in the draft.
The addition of Dodson to the NFL roster feels much needed for Carolina but releasing Horn Jr. in the process does feel like the Panthers just gave up on what could have been a valuable piece down the road for their offense.
In the Panthers’ loss to Chicago on Sunday, Horn Jr. did not exactly have the game of his life as he did not have a reception and was only targeted one time. He was also the Panthers’ punt returner and muffed a punt deep in his own territory to set up a short Chicago scoring drive at a crucial point in the game.
While that muffed punt could be viewed as a turning point in the game, it is one of the many mistakes made by the Panthers that lead to them starting the season 0-1. It is also worth noting that Horn Jr. was Carolina’s sixth round pick in the 2025 draft. It is safe to say Horn Jr.’s time in Charlotte was not quite enough to show what he can do.
At the end of the day, building a successful roster in the NFL takes making tough business decisions and that is exactly what happened in the Panthers’ front office on Tuesday. Carolina obviously needs reinforcement on the defensive side of the ball and the offense looked capable of scoring points without Horn Jr. ‘s services on Sunday so he becomes the odd man out for the addition of Dodson. Despite having potential, Horn Jr. just doesn’t fit the current needs of Carolina. The Panthers have a chance to show they are ready to put the first week of the season behind them by flipping the script defensively on Sunday against their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons.
