Panthers' Jaycee Horn speaks on being the highest-paid DB in NFL history

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn deserves the chance reflect back on his past to appreciate where he is now. And even though he tried to remain present on Friday, he seems more excited about the prospect of the future.

Horn spoke to media members this afternoon, four days after coming to terms on a record-breaking contract extension. The new four-year deal is set to pay the Pro Bowl defender $100 million, with the opportunity to stretch as high as $108 million through the 2029 campaign.

He was asked what receiving that type of commitment from the organization means to him.

"It was going back and forth for a couple weeks, so I was kinda in the loop about knowin' where everything was," he replied. "You're just appreciative of the organization takin' care of you and believing in you as a player and as a person too, 'cause they see how you work day in and day out in the building. So I'm super grateful and excited to be here for the future."

The average annual value on Horn's pact ($25 million) is the highest ever for a defensive back in NFL history. His guaranteed money ($70 million) is the third-most of all-time, behind only Denver's Patrick Surtain II ($77.4 million) and Cleveland's Denzel Ward ($71.2 million).

That prospect seemed unlikely for Horn just a few years ago, as he struggled to remain on the field in the early portions of his career. Coming into 2024, he had missed 29 of a possible 51 games since being selected with the eighth overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

But this past season was a bit different—as Horn recorded career-highs in combined tackles (68), tackles for a loss (five), sacks (2.0), passes defensed (13) and, perhaps most importantly, games played (15).

And now, Horn is focused on putting more wins next to those appearances over the next five years.

"It's time to win," he later stated. "I've been here four years now, ain't done a lot of winning and I feel like we gettin' all the pieces in place to do that."

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' Jaycee Horn speaks on being highest-paid DB in NFL history

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