CANTON, Ohio — Haynes King took the ball on third-and-goal from the Arizona 5, and instead of settling for a field goal to force overtime, he tucked it and ran. Five yards later, the Panthers had a win nobody drafted him to deliver.
King’s touchdown scramble as time expired lifted the Carolina Panthers past the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, kicking off the 2026 NFL preseason with a finish nobody in Canton saw coming.
Neither team played its starters. That’s what made King’s night stand out even more.
How It Happened
Arizona took a late lead when backup quarterback Kedon Slovis connected with Bryson Green on a 1-yard touchdown with 1:55 left, putting the Cardinals up 30-27. Carolina got the ball back needing a response, and King delivered one — driving the offense into scoring position before diving into the end zone as the clock hit zero.
The NFL’s official account captured the moment on X: “HAYNES KING WINS IT FOR THE PANTHERS” —
HAYNES KING WINS IT FOR THE PANTHERS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/HESbUZGhBN
— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026
It capped a night King spent building toward that finish. He threw a 15-yard rollout touchdown to Ja’Seem Reed to answer an early Arizona score, then found undrafted running back Anthony Tyus III on a 4-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter — set up by a gutsy fourth-and-2 conversion where King faked a handoff and hit tight end Caden Prieskorn for 22 yards. By the time the final drive started, Carolina had already shown it wasn’t going away quietly.
King finished 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns, adding 39 rushing yards on three carries — the last of which won the game. Starter Kenny Pickett opened the contest and went 8 of 11 for 62 yards without a touchdown before giving way to King.
From Undrafted to Unforgettable
King was the ACC Player of the Year last season at Georgia Tech after transferring from Texas A&M, yet no team called his name in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent in April, guaranteeing him $250,000 as part of the deal, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
That backstory wasn’t lost on anyone watching Thursday. Every Panthers rookie who has ever worn a No. 16 or otherwise stood out in camp gets compared to somebody; King, at least for one night, looked like a player 32 teams missed on.
He isn’t walking into a starting job. Carolina still lists him behind Bryce Young and Pickett on the depth chart, and one strong preseason performance doesn’t rewrite a roster. But it’s the kind of debut that gets a name circulated in front offices — including the ones that passed on him in April.
Box Score Snapshot
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rush Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haynes King (CAR) | 21/34 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 39 |
| Kenny Pickett (CAR) | 8/11 | 62 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Carson Beck (ARI) | 15/19 | 188 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Kedon Slovis (ARI) | 9/10 | 106 | 1 | 0 | — |
What’s Next
The Panthers will take a break before their preseason Week 2 matchup against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 15.
