Panthers HC Matt Rhule: We've liked C.J. Henderson for a long time

The Carolina Panthers traded for cornerback C.J. Henderson on Monday after Jaycee Horn suffered a broken foot in a 24-9 Week 3 win over the Houston Texans. 

Horn could be out for up to three months, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, and could possibly miss the remainder of the season if recovery does not go well. 

Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said Monday that acquiring Henderson is a long-term move, calling it "an opportunity." 

"CJ Henderson is somebody we liked a long time," Rhule said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "Any chance you have to get a top-15 draft pick from the year before, it's very unique."

Rhule added that the Panthers considered selecting Henderson last year with the seventh-overall pick. They instead drafted defensive lineman Derrick Brown.

"This is not a right-now, this-week conversation," Rhule said. "This is about the next two years, three years. On defense, as you can see, when you have a bunch of good players, it's fun to watch. So just hopefully he's one more guy in that group."

Henderson was drafted ninth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. As a rookie, he recorded an interception, one fumble recovery, six passes defensed and 36 tackles. Through two games this season, he has eight tackles and one tackle for a loss. 

Before trading for Henderson, the Panthers expressed interest in signing free-agent veteran cornerback Richard Sherman. It's unclear if they would still have interest in signing him.