Panthers Waive Jimmy Horn Jr. After Muffed Punt

The Carolina Panthers waived wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. on Tuesday, September 16, 2026, a move that came just days after a costly special teams error in the team's season-opening loss. The decision was made to create a roster spot for linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who was promoted from the practice squad. Horn muffed a punt in the second quarter of the Panthers' 59-37 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 14. The game was tied at 21-21 at the time, but the turnover gave the Bears possession at the Panthers' 27-yard line, leading to a field goal that put Chicago ahead. The loss marked the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history. Panthers head coach Dave Canales addressed the team's mistakes following the game, stating, "Playing smart, that's where we fell short. It was about executing our plan. It was about timely and costly penalties. Certainly, the turnovers, 17 points off of turnovers against a really good team, that's not something that you can do to play the championship football that we need to play." The roster move was directly tied to the addition of Dodson.