Panthers notebook: Jimmy Horn’s opportunity, Tyreek’s injury, Chuba’s status
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rookie WR Jimmy Horn Jr. will make his NFL debut Sunday against Miami Dolphins.
- Tyreek Hill’s dislocated knee means Dolphins must redistribute receiving production.
- Chuba Hubbard's calf issue may elevate Rico Dowdle and shift rushing workload Sunday.
As the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins prepare for Sunday’s 1 p.m. game in Charlotte, both 1-3 teams have been hit with some significant injuries.
In Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr.’s case, injuries to other players will give the rookie his first chance to play in an NFL game.
In Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s case, the catastrophic knee injury he suffered Monday night will mean the Dolphins will need to find their production elsewhere.
And in Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard’s case, a nagging calf injury will likely mean more carries for backup Rico Dowdle.
Let’s start with Horn. The sixth-round draft pick out of Colorado has been a healthy scratch for the first four games. Panthers fans who are tired of the offense’s lack of explosive plays have been calling for his debut, but Carolina’s coaches have been more comfortable going with veterans like Hunter Renfrow and David Moore.
With Moore out due to an elbow injury, however, Horn is going to play Sunday, with the idea that at worst he can open up some room for other receivers underneath and at best he might end up catching a significant pass downfield.
Said Brad Idzik, the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, on Thursday: “Jimmy is obviously an explosive athlete that excited a lot of us all throughout camp. … Really excited about his work ethic, just the time that he’s put in, the patience he’s had, the resilience to get comfortable with our schemes …he’s gaining the trust of us as coaches, getting aligned and knowing his assignment … he attacks every route vertically and puts a little fear in the DB’s eyes.”
The Panthers haven’t had a lot of guys like that in recent years — Ted Ginn Jr. in the Super Bowl year of 2015 would be an example of what they’re looking for now. The Panthers hope that starting wideouts Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette (returning from a hamstring injury) will benefit from the extra room on mid-range passes when Horn is in the game.
Does Horn feel any pressure?
“I apply pressure,” he said. “I don’t let pressure apply to me.”
As for Hill, it’s no exaggeration to say that the Dolphins built much of their offense around him. But he went down with a dislocated knee Monday, which means Jaylen Waddle will now be Miami’s No. 1 wide receiver and a host of others will try to fill in at Nos. 2 and 3. Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn said Thursday the Dolphins still were a fast team. But, he said: “There’s still a lot of speed. But Tyreek’s a different speed.”
Said Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero: “You don’t ever want to see anybody go through an injury like that. … We know for certain they still have plenty of weapons.”
One of those is veteran tight end Darren Waller, who has played in just one game for the Dolphins but made it a huge one with two touchdown catches Monday night in Miami’s win.
“He’s a big target down in the red zone,” said Evero, whose team has had trouble defending tight ends in the passing game for much of the season.
“It’s out there that we haven’t done a great job in that area,” Evero said. “But it’s also a great opportunity for us to show growth.”
As for Hubbard: For the second straight practice Thursday, he didn’t participate in team drills due to a nagging calf injury.
That could mean the Panthers will start Dowdle, who has had 28 carries and averaged 3.0 yards this season. Hubbard has had 53 carries and is averaging 4.1 yards. Neither back has had a carry of 15-plus yards yet in 2025, one of the many statistics pointing to the Panthers’ lack of explosive plays on offense. If Hubbard is inactive, the Panthers will likely use Trevor Etienne as the No. 2 back.
Dowdle said Thursday that if Hubbard was out and he was called upon, he would “definitely be ready” for 15-20 carries Sunday.
Quick hits
- The Panthers are No. 32 (dead last in the NFL) in sacks, with only two through four games. “We’ve certainly got to affect the quarterback more,” Evero said. “That’s very obvious. And we need to figure out a way, schematically and in terms of playing better … so that’s certainly at the forefront of our minds.”
- DeeJay Dallas, who just got signed this week and will wear No. 20 for the Panthers, could be used immediately, as the Panthers are looking to improve their special teams after their horrid performance in the 42-13 loss at New England last week. Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith pointed out that Dallas can both return and cover kicks, which is fairly unusual in the NFL but not unheard of. Smith knows his Panthers history, too, pointing out that both Rod (He Hate Me) Smart and Michael Bates did both jobs well at Carolina in the past.
- Dowdle was with Dallas last year, where he had a 1,000-yard season, and so he’s familiar with both Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and defensive star Micah Parsons. Dowdle said it was “crazy” and “mind-blowing” that Parsons and the Cowboys got a divorce and that Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 11:19 AM.
