The Panthers got a walk-off win from Haynes King in the Hall of Fame Game, but the rookie quarterback’s night came with a price.
King is “week to week” with a hamstring injury, according to a league source who was not authorized to speak publicly on a player’s injury status. Carolina’s final preseason game is set for Aug. 28 against the Houston Texans, two days before the roster-cut deadline, and King is currently listed behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett on the team’s official depth chart.
Carolina is expected to add another quarterback while King recovers, the source said. The Panthers recently brought in Kyle Trask, who was with coach Dave Canales in Tampa, and Jack Plummer is another name in the mix. Plummer spent the 2024 season with Carolina before being waived last summer.
Before the injury became the story, King had delivered the kind of finish that turns a preseason game into a showpiece. The undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech and the ACC’s Player of the Year in 2025 scrambled for a 5-yard touchdown as time expired to lift Carolina past the Cardinals, 33-30, in Canton, Ohio.
King said he dropped back intending to throw, but took off when the middle of Arizona’s defense “parted.” With a linebacker closing in, he dove and stretched the ball across the goal line, sparking a wild celebration as teammates swarmed him.
King didn’t bring up the hamstring issue in his postgame interviews.
The performance was part of a strong NFL debut for both quarterbacks in the matchup. King finished 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 39 rushing yards on three carries. Cardinals rookie Carson Beck, who once matched up with King in a memorable eight-overtime college game, went 15 of 19 for 188 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers were clearly energized by what King put on tape. While he was being interviewed on the field, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero walked by and said, “A star is born.” Young was smiling, and offensive lineman Rob Hunt pointed out that he and King both grew up in east Texas.
“I’m very excited I got this opportunity. I feel like I went out there and operated at a high level,” King said afterward. “And I feel like I affected a lot of people and allowed everybody around me to play better as well.”
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Dan Campbell said Mays will miss a significant amount of time, and the injury is serious enough to sideline him for about eight to 10 weeks. There is still a path back later this season, but not anytime soon, which leaves the Lions to shuffle their center depth while Mays works through another frustrating interruption in what was supposed to be a fresh start. [Read more 🡒]
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The next chance to see more of that progress comes in Buffalo, where Young is expected to get a larger workload in the preseason game. For a Panthers team still sorting out its long-term picture under center, every additional rep matters, especially with no second contract talk yet and more time still needed before the front office has to make any major calls. [Read more 🡒]