The Carolina Panthers didn’t wait long to fill a void at cornerback for their top-ranked defense.
Four days after Jaycee Horn suffered a broken foot in a win over the Houston Texans, the Panthers announced on Monday they had acquired cornerback C.J. Henderson in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars received tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick in the deal while the Panthers also netted a fifth-round selection.
Henderson, 22, was the No. 9 overall pick by the Jaguars in 2020 but faced a rocky transition this offseason under new coach Urban Meyer. He missed the early portion of training camp while on the COVID-19 reserve list and missed a scrimmage due to personal reasons.
In August, Meyer dismissed speculation that Henderson could walk away from football.
“I have not heard that … I don’t see that as an option,” Meyer. “I see a guy that’s fighting through stuff right now, and the stuff is a lot. He had to get ready for training camp, (then) boom, COVID. Last year, obviously [his] rookie year started off strong, and then he fought with injuries, so there’s a lot to this.”
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Henderson started the Jaguars’ first two games of the season but was inactive Sunday in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals with a groin injury.
In Carolina, Henderson should aid a defense that has given up a league-low 146 yards and 10 points per game. The Panthers have not put a timeline on Horn’s return, but the No. 8 overall pick in April’s NFL draft likely will miss a significant stretch of time.
The Panthers also reached out to free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman, according to multiple reports.
Sending Arnold to Jacksonville should create more opportunities in Carolina for Tommy Tremble, the third-round pick out of Notre Dame. Arnold, meanwhile, should take over as the primary receiving option at tight end for the Jaguars after James O’Shaughnessy was placed on injured reserve last week.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
