Haynes King Leads Panthers Past Cardinals in Hall of Fame Game

Haynes King Steals the Show in a Thrilling Preseason Opener

The annual kickoff to the National Football League preseason delivered a high-scoring thriller between two teams looking to build momentum. The Carolina Panthers, coming off an 8-9 season and an NFC South title, edged the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 courtesy of Haynes King heroics on a night that featured a crowd of 18,116 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

With no overtime in the preseason, Panthers coach Dave Canales faced a definitive choice in the waning moments. Trailing 30-27 with the ball at the Arizona 5-yard line and just two seconds remaining, Carolina elected to go for the win rather than settle for a tie.

“Not, not a chance, not for a second, no ties, no overtime in the preseason, Four downs the whole way. Brad knew it, and that kind of is why the nature of some of the calls came out at the end there because we knew we had an extra down to play with.”

Dave Canales, Panthers coach

King dropped back, spotted an opening in the middle of the field, scrambled forward, pump-faked a throw, and dove across the goal line for the decisive score. The undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech finished the night completing 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 39 rushing yards and the game-winning ground score .

Carson Beck and Arizona Rookies Showcase High-Level Execution

While King stole the headlines with his late-game heroics, Arizona rookie quarterback Carson Beck was the story for most of the night. With regular-season starter Jacoby Brissett and backup Gardner Minshew resting, the third-round pick out of Miami got the surprising starting nod from head coach Mike LaFleur.

Beck delivered an efficient performance, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown before giving way to Kedon Slovis. His standout connections included a 49-yard deep ball to Jalen Brooks and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett emphasized that success for the rookie was measured by operation and decision-making rather than the final scoreboard.

Brooks also capitalized on the national stage, hauling in three catches for 99 yards to bolster his bid for a roster spot as a depth option. Later in the contest, Slovis connected with Bryson Green on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining to briefly put Arizona ahead 30-27 before King’s final-minute response.

Quarterback Depth Charts and Preseason Context

The contest gave both coaching staffs an extended look at their reserves during the extra preseason game allotted to Hall of Fame participants. Carolina utilized veteran Kenny Pickett as the starter before turning the offense over to King. Pickett completed 8 of 11 passes for 62 yards, positioning King to compete directly for the third-string quarterback role behind Bryce Young and Pickett.

For Arizona, low expectations surround the team entering a challenging division featuring the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers. However, Beck’s composure under center provided an encouraging developmental sign for LaFleur’s squad.

Team	Starting Quarterback	Key Reserves & Stats	Final Score
Carolina Panthers	Kenny Pickett (8/11, 62 YDS)	Haynes King (21/34, 180 YDS, 2 TD; 39 RUSH YDS, 1 TD)	33
Arizona Cardinals	Carson Beck (15/19, 188 YDS, 1 TD)	Kedon Slovis (9/10, 106 YDS, 1 TD)	30

Hall of Fame Honors and Upcoming Preseason Schedule

The matchup served as a backdrop for the formal induction of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which features Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri. Cardinals players wore red T-shirts honoring Fitzgerald with his No. 11 during warmups. Meanwhile, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his broadcasting debut as the lead studio analyst for NBC’s Football Night in America.

Both teams will now turn their attention to the next phase of their preseason schedules. The Panthers travel to face the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 15, while the Cardinals visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 13.