Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn will be back on the field on Tuesday. The back-to-back Pro Bowl corner was cleared from the non-football injury list Tuesday morning, returning to practice just in time for the first day of full pads at Panthers training camp.

Horn missed the first four days of camp after suffering a laceration on his toe while training away from team facilities before camp began. The injury required stitches and prevented him from passing his physical to participate in on-field work.

Horn was still present during those early practices, working to the side with trainers and doing calisthenics, but he could not join teammates on the field. His return gives Carolina’s defense a significant boost as the team ramps up the intensity at camp.

Jaycee Horn returns at the perfect time for the defense heading into Tuesday’s practice

The timing of Horn’s return is notable given where camp left off after Sunday’s practice. The Panthers defense had the upper hand during the first three days of camp, but the offense bounced back in a big way during the most recent session.

Quarterback Bryce Young had a strong day on Sunday, as did wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. Now, with Horn back on the field for the first padded practice, the defense gets its chance to respond.

The back-and-forth competition between the two sides of the ball is exactly what you want to see at this stage of camp, and adding a player of Horn’s caliber to the mix only raises the level of play for everyone involved.

Horn’s return allows the Panthers defense to get back to where they left off in the spring

Getting Horn back means more than just adding a talented player back to the field. His presence allows the Panthers to mix up coverages and move defenders around formations in ways they simply could not without him.

Horn is one of the most important players on Carolina’s roster, and his ability to lock down receivers on the outside opens up schematic flexibility for the entire secondary. Back in minicamp, the Panthers were also experimenting with moving Horn inside and seeing how they could mix-n-match all of the pieces in the secondary.

“It’s a really competitive DB room and we love that. It’s bringing out the best in these guys,” Canales said back in June.

Competition is key this time of year and having a physical player like Horn back on the field for the first day of padded practice will be beneficial to everyone on the roster.