Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. hasn’t stopped rooting for his old Colorado quarterback. As Shedeur Sanders fights for the Cleveland Browns’ starting job, Horn made it clear where his allegiance lies — even while keeping his own focus locked on Carolina’s season.
Asked directly whether he thought Sanders would win the Browns’ quarterback competition, Horn didn’t dodge the question. He also didn’t lose sight of his own job.
“I pray my boy do win that competition,” Horn said. “Right now I’m worried about our season, what we got going on. But I pray my boy do win whatever they got going on.”
Polymarket Sports posted video of the exchange on X: “JUST IN: Jimmy Horn Jr. was asked if Shedeur Sanders was going to win the Browns’ quarterback competition” —
🚨JUST IN: Jimmy Horn Jr. was asked if Shedeur Sanders was going to win the Browns’ quarterback competition pic.twitter.com/eoBwSg5e7h
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) August 12, 2026
Where the Browns’ QB Battle Actually Stands
Sanders isn’t just chasing a roster spot — he’s in a genuine two-man race with veteran Deshaun Watson. According to ClutchPoints, the Browns announced this week that Watson will start Saturday’s preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, with Sanders then getting his turn behind the first-team offense when Cleveland faces the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Head coach Todd Monken has stressed the job is still undecided and said he’ll evaluate both quarterbacks week to week before naming a starter.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, missed the entire 2025 season recovering from a torn Achilles. Sanders started seven games as a rookie last year, throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Whoever wins the job inherits an offense that has cycled through quarterbacks for the better part of a decade, so Cleveland isn’t rushing the call.
A Bond Built in Boulder
Horn and Sanders’ connection goes back to their days turning around the Colorado program under Deion Sanders. Their breakout moment together came in the 2024 season opener against North Dakota State, when Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns while Horn hauled in a career day of his own, racking up 198 receiving yards on a heavy target share.
Both players carried that chemistry into the pros, even if they landed on different rosters. Sanders slipped to Cleveland in the 2025 draft, and Horn went to Carolina in the same class. They’ve stayed close enough that Horn has referred to Sanders as his “brother,” and the two have made a point of connecting whenever their teams cross paths in the preseason.
Horn Is Building His Own Case in Carolina
While Horn keeps tabs on Cleveland, he’s got his own competition to win. As a rookie, he caught 11 passes for 108 yards across 14 regular-season games, modest volume for a player who entered the league with speed that turned heads in training camp.
He picked up where he left off in Carolina’s 2026 preseason opener, a 33-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Horn led the Panthers in catches and receiving yards, finishing with four receptions for 44 yards on seven targets, including a 17-yard catch-and-run off a pass from undrafted quarterback Haynes King that saw him juke a defender in the open field, according to ESPN.
| Player | Rookie Season Stats | 2026 Preseason Opener |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Horn Jr. | 11 rec, 108 yds (14 games) | 4 rec, 44 yds, 17-yd long |
The Panthers have a crowded receiver room behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, which makes every preseason snap matter for Horn as Carolina finalizes its roster.
What Comes Next
Sanders gets his showcase start against Buffalo on Aug. 22, the next real data point in a competition that Monken has said won’t be settled until the Browns see both quarterbacks operate behind the first team in live snaps. Horn, meanwhile, has three more preseason games to keep proving he belongs in Carolina’s rotation.
If Sanders does win the job, don’t expect Horn to stay quiet about it. The two have made it clear, on the field and off, that Boulder never really left them.
