The Panthers are heading into Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game with a clear plan: Kenny Pickett will open at quarterback, and the regulars are staying parked on the sideline.
Head coach Dave Canales said Monday that Pickett, Carolina’s backup quarterback, will start against the Cardinals. Canales also made it clear that the staff hasn’t locked in exactly how long Pickett will stay on the field.
“But we have a good number of guys that will be helping out early in the game - just because we don’t want to overload any one particular group on our team,” Canales said in his press conference. “We do have practices leading into the game and we have practices coming out of it.
So, I felt that with the number of guys being out there, being able to take a couple of series will really help the whole group. And, we just need the football.
“So, I’m excited about it. And Kenny’s excited about it, as well as the rest of the group, and they’ve been talking about it.”
That approach fits the usual Hall of Fame Game script, and Carolina is following it closely. Canales said flatly that there will be no starters available, which includes rookie offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
“Yeah, no starters,” Canales said. “There are some competition battles for starting positions where guys will have an opportunity to play a little bit. But some of the guys we’re expecting to be out there right off the bat, I think we won’t play those guys in this game.”
Once Pickett exits, rookie Haynes King is set to take over at quarterback. Bryce Young will not play.
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One name worth watching from that angle is Baker Mayfield, whose situation with the Buccaneers could become relevant if the Panthers ever find themselves looking again. A reunion would be a long shot and would only come into focus under a specific set of conditions, but it is the kind of speculation that hangs around a team still trying to lock down its quarterback future for good. [Read more 🡒]