Panthers' Dave Canales sends message to Jaycee Horn after ejection
The Carolina Panthers dropped to 1-4 on the season after losing to the Chicago Bears in Week 5, 36-10 . At the end of the blowout, tensions boiled over as several Panthers defenders and Bears offensive linemen threw punches at each other . As a result, Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn and Chicago offensive tackle Matt Pryor each earned an ejection. After the game, Panthers head coach Dave Canales told the media what he thought about the situation with his star defender.
"We just have to continue to control our emotions," Canales told reporters after the game. "Emotions run high right there and [Horn] was instigated but he can't retaliate. They always catch the second person. ... But we've just got to maintain our composure and know, on a day like this, let's finish with class. Let's finish on our terms and we'll get back to work."
The Jaycee Horn-Matt Pryor fight was somewhat predictable as the Panthers were getting manhandled by the Bears in Week 5. In addition of the frustration related to the loss and the losing season, the Panthers could have looked a lot more like this up-and-coming Bears team in 2024 if not for what currently looks like one of the worst trades of all time.
The Panthers and Bears will forever be linked
With the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears seemingly fleeced the Panthers, getting them to trade up for the right to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. For this "honor," the Panthers gave up two first, a second, and a third-round pick, plus wide receiver D.J. Moore to go get Young.
A year and a half later, that trade looks like an abject disaster.
As of the Panthers-Bears Week 5 game, Young is benched, Carolina's 2024 first-round pick was No. 1 overall and Cghaicgo used it to draft Caleb Williams, and D.J. Moore is still a top NFL pass-catcher, grabbing five balls for 105 yards and two touchdowns against his old team on Sunday.
These two franchises will now forever be linked because of this trade, and with how its going for each right now, it's no wonder that Jaycee Horn lost his cool.
