The Panthers are getting encouraging signs on two important injury frontiers as Week 7 approaches.
Head coach Dave Canales said Friday that both Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are moving in the right direction, a welcome development for Carolina as it prepares to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while sitting at 3-2 and first in the NFC South.
Horn and Jackson, Carolina’s starting defensive backs, were injured earlier in the season and have spent the past few games on injured reserve. The Panthers have still managed to win two games without them, but their return would be a clear lift for the stretch run.
Canales said Horn is “doing great” and that the latest updates have him trending the right way. There is no general timeline for Horn, though Canales did note that he is eager to keep advancing in the recovery process and rejoin the team. The coach did not specify what the next step is.
Jackson’s update sounded similarly positive. Canales said he is moving around and beginning to ramp up speed, change of direction and similar work. That kind of movement matters as part of the path back, since change-of-direction drills help open the door to a return.
Carolina has already gone through two games without either defender, and with just two more left before the practice window can be opened for them, there is no immediate urgency. Still, if the Panthers want to keep building toward a playoff push, getting both back in the coming weeks would be a major boost.
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