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CANTON, Ohio — Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Haynes King walked off the Hall of Fame Game with a 5-yard rushing touchdown on the last play of the night Thursday, securing a 33-30 Carolina win over the Arizona Cardinals to begin the 2026 NFL preseason.
King completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and added 39 rushing yards and the game-winning score.
Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck started strong, throwing for 188 yards on 15-of-19 passing with a touchdown in just under 2 1/2 quarters of play. He led three scoring drives.
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Here are takeaways from Canton.
Haynes King shines in debut
Most thought the first exhibition would turn into a scramble fest for King, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards during his final year at Georgia Tech. But after replacing Kenny Pickett, the undrafted rookie stayed in the pocket for the most part, worked through his progressions and moved the chains. King led scoring drives on five of his six possessions and looked the part of a competent No. 3 quarterback. With the rest of the NFL watching Thursday’s stand-alone game, it might be hard for Dan Morgan to try to stash King on the practice squad. — Joseph Person, Panthers beat writer
Panthers secondary woes
The Panthers boast one of the best cornerback duos in Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. But their backups have some work to do. Rookie Will Lee made a couple of nice plays, but was beaten deep on a double move — as was veteran Akayleb Evans, who started opposite Lee. Corey Thornton, who’s competing with Chau Smith-Wade for the nickel spot, gave up a short touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko. It’s probably too early to sound the alarms. Lee, a fourth-round pick from Texas A&M, has had a good camp – so much so that the Panthers have experimented with playing Horn in the slot. — Person
Carson Beck’s impressive debut
The Cardinals’ quarterback situation is among the worst in the league. It might be the worst in the league. Jacoby Brissett is the expected starter. Gardner Minshew is the expected backup. That’s how it should be. They’ve earned those spots. That’s why rookie Carson Beck’s performance Thursday night was so encouraging. He showed promise, even if it came against Carolina’s second- and third-teamers.
It’s a preseason game. No one takes these things seriously, not even the teams playing. So what we saw from Beck may not advance beyond the trip home. But from the standpoint of readiness, offensive command and meeting the moment, Beck passed those tests. He led three scoring drives. He showed poise. He threw the ball away when necessary. He secured the ball when sacked.
In the deep and talented NFC West, most of this season for the Cardinals will be about distance. As in, how close are they to the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers? Much of that discussion will focus on the quarterback. Brissett may get the bulk of meaningful snaps, but he’s not the long-term solution. Nor is Minshew. Is Beck? Impossible to say. All he needed to do Thursday night was breathe life into the possibility that he one day might be. And that’s what he did. Now comes the hard part: doing it consistently and against better personnel. — Doug Haller, Cardinals beat writer
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