Undrafted rookie quarterback Haynes
King leads Panthers to 33-30 comeback win over Cardinals
[August 07, 2026]
By ROB MAADDI
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Maybe a team should’ve drafted Haynes King.
The rookie quarterback ran in from the 5 on the final play to give
the Carolina Panthers a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in
the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL preseason on Thursday
night.
King, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last
season at Georgia Tech, was 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two
touchdowns. He ran for 39 yards and the winning score.
“Well, that was a lot of fun. Just the back and forth of it. Just a
really good game,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “The guys were
resilient and finish is what we preach as a team. We practice for
these situations, end of half, end of game. ... Haynes did a
fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to
do, run it, throw it. Really proud of the group.”
Carson Beck also had an impressive debut for Arizona.
After Beck left, Kedon Slovis tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Bryson
Green with 1:55 remaining to give the Cardinals a 30-27 lead.
But King rallied the Panthers on a night when both teams didn’t play
their starters. Bryce Young was King’s biggest cheerleader on the
sideline.
King’s 4-yard TD pass to Anthony Tyus III in the opening minute of
the fourth quarter put Carolina ahead 24-20. King threw a 15-yard TD
pass Ja’seem Reed in the second quarter. He had a 26-yard run on
third-and-14 to keep the final drive going.
“These are things that he did throughout his career,” Canales said
of King. “The bottom line is move the chains.”
Both teams gave their backups and reserves opportunities to shine.
Beck, Slovis and King took advantage.
Beck, a third-round pick from Miami, completed 15 of 19 passes for
188 yards and one touchdown. After leading the Hurricanes to the
national championship game — a loss to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana
— Beck wasn't overwhelmed by the national stage.
“It was a cool environment and for him to just kind of, it’s just
another game and that’s the way he took it and he’s been in big ones
and that’s how his mindset works,” rookie Cardinals coach Mike
LaFleur said.
Slovis was 9 of 10 for 106 yards.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett is the Cardinals' starter and their backup
is journeyman Gardner Minshew. But expectations are low for Arizona
in a division that includes the defending Super Bowl champion
Seahawks, Rams and 49ers.
So Beck may get a chance to play at some point if he develops under
LaFleur. Canales raved about what he saw from the opposing sideline.
“He operated like a professional. He looked fantastic,” Canales
said. “He was accurate. He was on time. Our rush was decent. He got
the ball out, threw some really beautiful passes down the field, up
the sideline on some double moves, over the middle, to keep the
drive alive in some third-down situations, so tip my hat to him.”
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Carolina Panthers running back Anthony Tyus III runs to the end zone
in front of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karson Sharar (43) after a
catch in the second half of the Pro Football Hall of Fame NFL
preseason game in Canton, Ohio, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP
Photo/David Richard)
King is expected to be Carolina’s No. 3 QB behind
Young and veteran Kenny Pickett.
The Panthers won the NFC South last season at 8-9 and lost to the
Rams in a wild-card game.
Pickett started and was 8 of 11 for 62 yards before King replaced
him.
Beck completed all six of his passes on a 98-yard touchdown drive
that included a 35-yard strike to Jalen Brooks on third-and-7 from
Arizona’s 7.
He threw a perfect deep ball to Brooks for a 49-yard gain and
finished that drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Simi Fehoko.
Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the
draft, sat out even though he hoped to persuade LaFleur to let him
play.
Gold jackets
Quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, kicker Adam
Vinatieri, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Luke
Kuechly make up the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Tomlin makes his TV debut
Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his first appearance with the
NBC broadcast crew. Tomlin left Pittsburgh after 19 seasons and
became the lead studio analyst for “Football Night in America.”
Brissett and McBride in the Hall
Brissett and All-Pro tight end Trey McBride stopped by the Pro
Football Hall of Fame Museum to see their jerseys displayed for
breaking records last season. McBride set an NFL record for
receptions by a tight end in a season with 126. Brissett set a
record for completions in a game with 47 against San Francisco last
Nov. 16.
Honoring Fitz
Cardinals players wore red T-shirts with Larry Fitzgerald's No. 11
in warmups and on the sideline.
“It's a great feeling to know your organization stands behind you,”
Fitzgerald said. “I'm really happy they would honor me like this.”
Up next
Panthers: At Buffalo on Aug. 15.
Cardinals: At Las Vegas on Aug. 13.
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