Undrafted rookie Haynes King rushes in winning TD as Panthers beat Cardinals 33-30 in Hall of Fame game
Haynes King ran in from the five-yard line on the final play to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game that opened the 2026 NFL preseason on Thursday night.
King, an undrafted rookie who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last season at Georgia Tech, finished 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns and added 39 rushing yards, including the game-winner. Panthers coach Dave Canales praised the team’s resilience and singled out King’s improvisation and willingness to run and throw, saying: “Well, that was a lot of fun. Just the back and forth of it. Just a really good game,” and “The guys were resilient and finish is what we preach as a team. We practice for these situations, end of half, end of game. ... Haynes did a fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to do, run it, throw it. Really proud of the group.”
King’s touchdown passes included a four-yard strike to Anthony Tyus III in the opening minute of the fourth quarter that put Carolina ahead 24-20 and a 15-yard completion to Ja’seem Reed in the second quarter; he also had a 26-yard run on third-and-14 late in the game to sustain the decisive drive.
Arizona’s rookie Carson Beck also made an encouraging debut, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown. Beck completed all six throws on a 98-yard touchdown drive that featured a 35-yard pass to Jalen Brooks on third-and-7 from Arizona’s seven, then a 49-yard gain to Brooks on a deep ball before finishing the series with a five-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko.
Rookie Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur commented on Beck’s composure, saying: “It was a cool environment and for him to just kind of, it’s just another game and that’s the way he took it and he’s been in big ones and that’s how his mindset works.” Beck was a third-round pick out of Miami who led the Hurricanes to the national championship game — a loss to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana.
Kedon Slovis, who replaced Beck, was 9 of 10 for 106 yards and threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green with 1:55 remaining to put Arizona in front 30-27. The Cardinals’ quarterback depth chart currently lists veteran Jacoby Brissett as the starter and journeyman Gardner Minshew as the backup; Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, the No 3 overall pick in the draft, sat out despite hoping to persuade LaFleur to let him play.
The Hall of Fame ceremony and game featured several off-field storylines: the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, kicker Adam Vinatieri, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Luke Kuechly, and former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his first appearance with the NBC broadcast crew as lead studio analyst. Jacoby Brissett and All-Pro tight end Trey McBride visited the Hall of Fame Museum to see jerseys commemorating records they set last season — McBride’s NFL record for receptions by a tight end with 126 and Brissett’s single-game completions mark of 47 against San Francisco on 16 November — while Cardinals players warmed up and sat on the sideline wearing red T-shirts with Larry Fitzgerald’s No 11; Fitzgerald said, “It’s a great feeling to know your organization stands behind you,” and “I’m really happy they would honor me like this.”
Kenny Pickett started for Carolina and was 8 of 11 for 62 yards before King replaced him; King is expected to be Carolina’s No 3 quarterback behind Bryce Young and Pickett as the Panthers continue their preseason preparations.