Panthers place Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson on injured reserve

The Carolina Panthers placed starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on injured reserve ahead of Sunday night’s matchup with the Detroit Lions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter reported that Horn has a quad injury and Jackson a groin injury, and that Carolina will be without its starting cornerback duo for at least the next four games.

Horn and Jackson have each appeared in three games for Carolina in 2026-27. Horn has six total tackles, including four solo tackles, and two passes defended. Jackson also has six total tackles and four solo tackles through three games. The report identifies both players as the Panthers’ starting cornerbacks, creating the injury absence in the secondary that Carolina will carry into the Lions matchup.

Carolina enters the game with a 1-2 record. Its defense ranks 13th of 32 teams in EPA, while its offense ranks 18th. EPA is expected points added, a play-by-play measure used to compare how offenses and defenses perform relative to league opponents. The Panthers’ defensive standing is the stronger of their two unit rankings through the available team data.

The Lions are 2-1 entering Sunday night. Detroit ranks second of 32 teams in offensive EPA and 30th in defensive EPA. The matchup will put Carolina’s 13th-ranked EPA defense against Detroit’s second-ranked EPA offense, with Horn and Jackson on injured reserve, according to Schefter’s report.