C.J.

Henderson

The ex-Jaguars draft bust started 17 games in Carolina over the past two seasons. He was a versatile but ineffective presence for last year’s league-worst team. Still somehow only 25, he will look to provide depth and take a step forward under defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Henderson suffered a concussion in the second quarter against the Colts and wasn’t able to recover in time for Thursday night’s game. With EDGE Brian Burns (concussion) also ruled out, this Panthers defense is not in a great spot, even against the Bears.

Henderson was injured while making a tackle on Jonathan Taylor in the second quarter. He’s Carolina’s top cornerback, so it would be a big loss regardless, but the Panthers are also without top safety Vonn Bell. That could create some issues in the second half against Gardner Minshew, Michael Pittman Jr., and the Colts offense.

Henderson left the contest late in the first quarter and was seen on the sideline with ice on his ankle. He was declared questionable to return.

This isn’t all that surprising given how Henderson’s career has unfolded. Since being selected by the Jaguars with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Henderson was traded to the Panthers for a third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold last September, and has struggled to hang with NFL receivers since entering the league. He started 10 games last season for the Panthers and allowed a career-high 642 yards and five touchdowns while earning a PFF coverage grade of 48.9. He’ll enter 2023 on a prove-it year with the Panthers.

Henderson has reportedly been on the trading block since August. With Carolina needing secondary help after losing Jaycee Horn indefinitely to a foot injury, the Panthers made the move, dealing Arnold to Jacksonville. The Jags lost James O’Shaughnessy (ankle) for at least a few weeks and started journeyman TE Jacob Hollister Sunday against Arizona. Arnold should immediately step in as the team’s top pass-catching tight end in an offense that made O’Shaughnessy fantasy viable for the season’s first couple weeks. Arnold has flashed when given the chance. He had seven catches for 84 yards in three games with the Panthers. Rookie Tommy Tremble -- who caught a 30-yard pass and scored on a short rushing attempt in Week 3 -- profiles as Carolina’s pass-catching tight end after Arnold’s departure. The Darnold-to-Arnold era was short lived.

The Jaguars reportedly put Henderson on the trade block in early August, hoping to deal him in exchange for a high draft pick. That never materialized. Desperate for a viable tight end option after James O’Shaughnessy’s Week 2 ankle injury, Urban Meyer and the Jaguars made the deal for Arnold. Henderson joins a Carolina secondary that has shut down opponents this year but lost rookie CB Jaycee Horn to a broken foot in Week 3. Horn is expected to miss most of the regular season. Henderson, 22, Jacksonville’s first round pick in 2020, allowed 27 catches on 43 targets in eight games last year.

Henderson is battling a groin issue and illness. The Jaguars are down two cornerbacks against Kyler Murray.

A return for disgruntled Saints wideout Michael Thomas is the logical connection (and lowest hanging fruit) since Jags coach Urban Meyer obviously developed the former at Ohio State. Henderson, the team’s No. 9 overall pick last year, is being treated as Meyer has handled a majority of the talent he inherited from the last regime, choosing to ignore them for a player he had a hand in signing off the streets or drafting. The 22-year-old struggled through injuries as a rookie but still projects as a lengthy (31 5/8") shutdown corner with elite speed (4.39 40-time) and 91st-percentile Adjusted SPARQ athleticism. He’d be an incredible fit across from Marshon Lattimore.

The Jaguars selected Henderson with the ninth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He wasn’t perfect as a rookie but showed enough for any team to be optimistic about his future. The former Florida Gator defended six passes and notched one interception in eight games. Shoulder and ankle injuries cost him half of his rookie season. Fowler noted that there’s no rift between Henderson and his team. The Jaguars are simply content with the corners they have outside of Henderson and are willing to test the market. They signed Shaquill Griffin to a three-year, $40 million contract in the spring. While some teams will undoubtedly inquire about Henderson, it would be surprising for a team to move on from a top-10 pick so quickly.