Panthers notebook: Jaycee Horn dealing with significant injury, Carolina’s plan at LG

Panthers head coach Frank Reich didn’t have a particularly encouraging update on cornerback Jaycee Horn’s hamstring injury on Wednesday morning.
“We’re still kind of working through that,” Reich said. “He’s working through getting other opinions, and just seeing the full extent of it. It is a serious hamstring injury. He’s going to be out for a while — for an extended period of time — but I still don’t have enough information to kind of give a definitive statement on exactly what’s going to be the course of action with him. Hopefully, we get that answer in the next day or two. ”
Horn, who sustained the hamstring injury in the second quarter of the Week 1 loss to Atlanta, could be put on injured reserve depending on the results of his outside evaluations. A potential surgery is also on the table, per Reich.
As far as replacing Horn in the lineup goes, Reich backed his current group of Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson and Troy Hill at cornerback.
“Happy with CJ, happy with Troy, with Donte — that whole contingent,” Reich said. “Feel good about our guys.”
Reich also noted that the Panthers opened up a roster spot with left guard Brady Christensen being placed on injured reserve earlier in the day. That spot will likely be used to reinforce the secondary, according to the head coach.
Carolina’s plan to replace Brady Christensen
Christensen was put on injured reserve with a biceps injury on Wednesday. The injury came as a surprise to multiple teammates, as Christensen played through the ailment after being hurt late in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
Reich credited Christensen for playing through the injury in the 24-10 loss. The team later confirmed to The Observer that Christensen will be out for the season.
The Panthers will now need a season-long replacement along the offensive line.
“We’re going to work a couple of different combinations,” Reich said about the contingency plan at left guard. “We’re going to have, really, three different players we’ve talked a lot about — obviously in the last 48 hours — we’ll have three different players work through there and make a decision by the end of Thursday.”
According to the head coach, the Panthers plan to rotate Cade Mays, Nash Jensen and practice squad lineman Justin McCray at left guard in practice this week before deciding on Christensen’s replacement.
McCray is a longtime pupil of offensive line coach James Campen, while Mays has worked with the position coach for the past two years. Jensen, an undrafted rookie, was cross-trained at right and left guard throughout the summer.
McCray spent the entire summer on the Panthers’ 90-man roster. He was released during final cuts but was brought back immediately onto the practice squad. Having spent the past few weeks in practice with the team, McCray should understand the game plan and playbook.
“There’s a basis for every position that (Campen) wants,” McCray said before practice. “Fundamentals and things like that — and just knowing the fundamentals for one position, you can pretty much piggyback off those for the next position and so far, and so on.”
Mays, who worked at right guard with the first-team offense throughout most of the summer, is one of the more versatile players on the entire team. That versatility could help him win a starting job this week.
“It is what it is,” Mays said. “It comes with the territory. Being able to play multiple spots, you just kind of get used to it — moving around.”
Jensen said Christensen’s injury was felt by the offensive line room. But with a “next man up” mentality, the rookie will do his best to earn playing time after being inactive against the Falcons.
“At the end of day, we’re all brothers, we’re all teammates,” Jensen said. “We’re just going to work together.”
Depending on the severity of Christensen’s injury, McCray, Jensen or Mays could land a long-term starting job this season. Fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala could also eventually slide over to left guard when starting right guard Austin Corbett (ACL) returns from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Zavala played every offensive snap at right guard in the loss to Atlanta.
Quick hits
▪ The Panthers didn’t release an injury report for Wednesday, as they play on Monday Night Football, and will instead release reports for Thursday, Friday and Saturday workouts. However, wideout DJ Chark (hamstring), who missed Week 1, was seen at practice. Chark was a limited participant in practice last Friday.
▪ The Panthers had new practice squad arrivals — running back Tarik Cohen and wideout Michael Strachan — at practice on Wednesday. Before practice, Cohen acknowledged that he wanted to play for the Panthers because of family reasons. He has a 1-year-old son and a lot of family in the state, having grown up northeast of Raleigh in Bunn. He has been training for his return in High Point.
▪ Reich was asked about the “turf vs. grass” debate in light of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury on Monday at MetLife Stadium. The Panthers also play on turf at Bank of America Stadium.
Reich explained that he was sympathetic to the players as a coach and former player. But Reich also acknowledged he’s not an expert on turf and understands the other side of the argument as well.
He deferred further comment to the Panthers’ public relations staff, NFLPA and the league itself.