The Carolina Panthers are moving to add another quarterback, and Kyle Trask is the name at the center of it.
A league source confirmed Saturday that Trask is expected to sign with Carolina after undrafted rookie Haynes King suffered a hamstring injury. The Panthers brought Trask in for a workout last week, and the need for help behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett became more urgent once King went down.
Trask is no stranger to Dave Canales. The two were together in Tampa Bay during the 2023 season, and Canales previously said he “loves” Trask from that time. That familiarity gives Carolina a quarterback with some built-in knowledge of the offense, along with experience in the NFC South.
Carolina had been planning to roll with Young as the starter and Pickett as the primary backup. Pickett is locked in as the No. 2 after signing a deal with guaranteed money. King’s injury changed the equation, and the Panthers quickly revisited the idea of carrying a fourth quarterback even after general manager Dan Morgan had said the team had no plans to do that.
A corresponding roster move will be needed to make room.
Trask, 28, spent four seasons with the Buccaneers after they selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft. He later joined the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in 2025. In his NFL career, he has appeared in seven games, thrown 11 passes and never made a start.
For Carolina, he gives the team a low-risk option with prior exposure to Canales’ system. At this point, the battle is about depth: Trask is in line to compete for the third-string job or a practice squad spot.
King’s injury comes after he flashed in the Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, added three carries for 39 yards, and finished things off with a five-yard scramble for the game-winning score as time expired. After replacing Pickett, he led scoring drives on five of his six possessions and helped Carolina to a 33-30 win.
Now, with King sidelined, the Panthers are turning quickly to Trask and reuniting him with his former offensive coordinator.
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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 🡒]