Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. got his welcome to the NFL moment early after he was fined during a miked-up appearance in Panthers mini-camp.
Horn Jr. was the featured subject on the Panthers’ “Blueprint: [Shorts]” series and was miked up for the episode. The rookie sixth-round pick out of the University of Colorado was being documented throughout practice in the video when he informed Panthers running backs coach Bernie Parmalee that he was miked up.
Panthers wide receivers coach Rob Moore then gave Horn Jr. a lesson he won’t soon forget when he let the rookie know he was fined for not telling the rest of the team he was miked up.
“If y’all miked up and y’all don’t tell the fellas and we just having a casual conversation, and I’m giving away the secrets, and he don’t tell us? That’s a fine. That’s wiretapping,” Moore said in the video.
Horn Jr. took the advice in stride and responded, “I’m a quiet miked up guy. When I get on that mic, I don’t like to do too much. They already don’t understand what I be saying,” referring to his Florida accent.
Jimmy Horn Jr. Still Made a Good First Impression on Coaches
Despite getting fined for a minor mistake, Horn Jr. has given the coaches a strong early impression on the field.
“What carries over from the film is just being a really versatile guy,” head coach Dave Canales said in the “Blueprint: [Shorts] video. “He’s a reliable target and a really smooth mover in his routes. We just felt like he was a really well-rounded, clean football player and certainly fits into what we do.”
The film also showed how Horn could fit into the Panthers culture, according to a June 15 Sports Illustrated story by Ben Armendariz titled “Carolina Panthers’ Jimmy Horn Jr. Fined By Coach During Mic’d Up Debut.”
“The lighthearted exchange underscored the kind of teammate Horn is quickly becoming in Carolina—coachable, approachable, and easy to root for,” Armendariz wrote.
Horn Jr. is used to being a good teammate and having to show patience. At Coloarado Horn Jr. often was the third wide receiver in the rotation. Horn Jr. was behind Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter and LaJohntay Wester when it came to targets. Horn Jr. finished his senior season with 37 receptions for 441 yards and 1 touchdown. On the Panthers, Horn Jr. will once again have to compete for targets in a crowded receivers room.
Fitting Into a Crowded Receivers Room
Horn Jr. is joining a receivers room that quickly has added depth.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young developed a rapport late in the season with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. He ended the season with 48 receptions for 615 yards and 5 touchdowns in 10 games.
2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette had an up-and-down season. Legette showed flashes of why he was picked where he was, but also had some back-breaking drops, including dropping a potential game-winning touchdown against the eventual Super Bowl Champion, the Philadelphia Eagles.
2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan will be looked upon immediately as a key target for Young. The first team All-American had back-to-back seasons of over 1,300 yards receiving at Arizona and will look to replicate that success in the NFL.
The biggest competition for playing time that Horn Jr. may have though is with free agent wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who last played in 2023. Renfrow was among the best slot receivers his first few years in the league, but after a few down seasons and a year off from football, Renfrow’s spot on the roster isn’t a guarantee.
Renfrow, however, is ready to compete and feels good heading into training camp as he said in a June 17 article titled “Hunter Renfrow feels good again, which allows him to feel like a football player again,” written by Darin Gantt for the Panthers website.
“Honestly, this is the best I’ve felt since probably 2021, by far, Renfrow said.
Horn Jr. quickly got a lesson into all that it takes to be a player in the NFL, and while he may need to brush up on the mic’d up protocols, on the field he’s made a good first impression.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Panthers Rookie WR Gets ‘Welcome to the NFL’ Moment by Coaches appeared first on Heavy Sports.