Going into the 2026 season, the Carolina Panthers had two of the NFL's best cornerbacks on their defense. And now, just three weeks in, they may have neither.
Among the handful of players who went down in Sunday's 21-18 loss
to the Cleveland Browns were Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Horn sustained a significant groin tear that could knock him out for the rest of the season while Jackson, whose status isn't as clear, left early with a groin injury.On Monday, head coach Dave Canales talked about the outlook of the cornerback position moving forward—touching on both in-house and potential out-of-house solutions.
"Right now—Will Lee, Akayleb Evans stepped in and played some quality snaps for us," Canales told reporters. "Chau Smith-Wade is gonna have
to hop into the mix. Could be possibly Corey Thornton up from the practice squad.
"Again, Dan's [Morgan] looking all around and making sure that we uncover every stone to see who can come in and help us—and preferably, somebody who has some familiarity with our scheme. But at the same time, we're gonna be open to options to help us."
So, if they're going to add an outside option, who can fit that bill?
Here are four corners the Panthers could bring back following the injuries to Horn and Jackson . . .
Robert Rochell
A member of the 2026 offseason roster, Rochell was let go as part of the late-summer cutdown in August. Before that, he appeared in four games for Carolina during the 2025 campaign—with all 33 of his snaps coming on special teams.
Although we'd have to go back to 2022 to find a regular season in which he played more than one defensive snap, Rochell is, obviously, quite familiar with the system. He also started five games for the Los Angeles Rams during his rookie year in 2021, under Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley.
Shemar Bartholomew
Bartholomew was a hot commodity after the NFL's initial roster cutdowns in 2024, where he was claimed by four different teams. He was awarded to the Panthers, who held the No. 1 spot on the waiver wire due to their league-worst record the season prior.
He'd play in four games, with his only action at corner coming in the Week 18 finale versus the Atlanta Falcons. Bartholomew recorded 17 snaps, allowing three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown over five targets.
His most recent stop came with the Tennessee Titans, who released him from their practice squad a few weeks ago.
Dicaprio Bootle
A fan favorite for a brief time in Carolina, Bootle hasn't played an NFL down since 2024. But if the Panthers are looking for a depth piece who can also add a bit of special teams help, then the 29-year-old could be an option.
Bootle made two starts over eight games for the team in 2023, totaling 14 tackles and two passes defensed.
Shaquill Griffin
Like Bootle, Griffin had himself a short stay in Charlotte in 2023. He made one start in his three contests.
The 31-year-old Griffin carries the most experience of this group, by far—having amassed 83 career starts over 108 games. Plus, he's now worked alongside Evero and, dating back to his Seattle days, Canales and Morgan.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 4 CBs the Panthers could add after injuries to Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson
