The Carolina Panthers have made a quick decision on wide receiver and return man Jimmy Horn Jr.
The Carolina Panthers aren't off to a hot start this season. After their 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 1, the Panthers are now 0-1 as they head into their first NFC South game of the season.
But when they travel to Atlanta for the Week 2 showdown with the Falcons, they will do so with a new return man.
On Tuesday, just two days after the Week 1 loss, the team has decided to move on from wide receiver and return man Jimmy Horn Jr. The Panthers waived Horn Jr. after he muffed a punt that resulted in a turnover in Sunday's game.
Horn Jr. lost track of the ball as he signaled for a fair catch and then muffed it. Chicago wide receiver Kaden Davis recovered it and the Bears kicked a field goal on the drive to extend the lead. But looking at the punt, it appears as if Bears' punter Tory Taylor kicked a 'banana ball' which comes at a different angle and is tough to receive when done right.
Bears' head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that Taylor's punt started on the outside before going inside the hashes. It makes it more difficult to track.
"The takeaways are a huge deal for us," Johnson said. "We talked about the banana ball that [punter] Tory [Taylor] was hitting all throughout camp. For them to muff that punt and us to capitalize on that, that was huge for momentum swing."
With Horn's release, the Panthers are likely going with John Metchie as their primary punt returner with Trevor Ettiene on injured reserve. Metchie does have some punt return experience and could get the first crack at it.
Carolina has also signed former Miami Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dobson from the practice squad to the active roster. Another team tried to sign Dobson this week as ESPN's Mike Kaye reported on Tuesday.
The Panthers will look to get their first win of the season as they go down to Atlanta on Sunday in Week 2. Both teams enter this week at 0-1 on the season with the Falcons losing to Pittsburgh.
