Deion Sanders isn’t just watching Jimmy Horn Jr.’s NFL detour from the sidelines - he’s actively trying to help steer it.
Horn, who was entering his second NFL season with the Carolina Panthers, was released after Week 1. Sanders, his former coach at Colorado, moved fast once he heard the news and began making calls to help the receiver land somewhere else.
“I made some calls immediately,” said Sanders on the Colorado Coaches Show. “I love Jimmy.
Jimmy’s a great kid. I’m not questioning management because I’m not there, but this kid is a great human being … We give our kids car deals and all of that, right?
… There’s only one guy who ever turned their car back in, cleaned, with a tank full of gas: Jimmy Horn. That says a lot about who he is…If you just wanted to get rid of him, it wasn’t about character."
That kind of backing matters. Horn’s NFL start has been slow on the field, but Sanders is making the case that his former player still brings the kind of character teams want in a locker room.
And Horn’s Colorado résumé gives that argument real weight. Over two seasons with the Buffaloes, he totaled 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns on 95 catches, averaging 10.6 yards per reception. In Pat Shurmur’s offense, he became a dependable slot and gadget piece, carving out a meaningful role alongside names like Travis Hunter, Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester.
The issue hasn’t been talent so much as timing in the biggest moments. Right before his release, Horn muffed a punt that was recovered by the opposing team in a Panthers loss, 59-37. He also had a drop in last season’s Wild Card game that helped seal that defeat and end Carolina’s run.
If Horn is going to get back on track, familiarity could help. Sanders may have a natural fit in mind with the Cleveland Browns, where Horn could work with his college quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, and try to rebuild some of that old chemistry.
For now, the message from Deion Sanders is clear: he believes Horn belongs on an NFL roster, and he’s willing to say it out loud.
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