Every preseason opener, I hear some version of the same complaint:
Why bother watching a game where the starters barely play?
The problem isn’t that Hall of Fame Weekend football is meaningless. It’s that most years, it actually is. Backups trade punts, the score doesn’t matter, and everyone’s watching the clock more than the ball. This year was different, and the reason had a name: Haynes King.
The undrafted rookie quarterback out of Georgia Tech didn’t just show up in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday night. He walked off with the whole game, scrambling five yards for a touchdown as time expired to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 33-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
A Rookie Nobody Drafted, Delivering When It Mattered
Here’s what makes King’s night stand out. He wasn’t even QB1 for the day. Kenny Pickett got the start with Bryce Young resting for the night, and Pickett finished a modest 8 of 11 for 62 yards before handing the offense to King in the second quarter.
From there, King simply took over. He finished 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two passing touchdowns, added 39 yards on just three carries, and saved the best for last. With the Cardinals having just taken the lead, King led a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with him diving over the goal line as the clock hit zero.
For a player who went undrafted out of college, that’s the kind of moment that gets you remembered.
How the Game Unfolded
The Cardinals came out fast, going up 7-0 before Carolina answered right back. AJ Dillon punched in a 1-yard touchdown to tie things up, a drive that got a head start from a 35-yard kickoff return by newcomer John Metchie III.
Arizona’s own rookie, third-round pick Carson Beck, had a strong debut of his own, going 15 of 19 for 188 yards and a touchdown while posting a 125.4 passer rating in the first half. It looked, for a while, like Beck might steal the show.
Then came the late Cardinals push. Backup quarterback Kedon Slovis connected with Bryson Green on a contested, replay-confirmed touchdown catch with 1:55 left, putting Arizona ahead 30-26. Carolina, though, wasn’t interested in playing for a tie. King and the offense drove the length of the field one more time, and the rookie finished the job himself.
Special teams played their part too, with Ryan Fitzgerald hitting both his field goal attempts and Sam Martin dropping a 58-yard punt that Ja’seem Reed downed inside the five.
Why This Preseason Opener Actually Mattered
Both teams sat their top two quarterbacks. Neither Bryce Young nor Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew played a snap. That’s exactly why the performances from King and Beck carry extra weight. Preseason football rarely settles anything, but it does tell coaching staffs who’s ready to compete for a roster spot, and King answered that question in the most emphatic way possible.
The game also had a bigger backdrop. It preceded Saturday’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, where former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald headline this year’s class. Fittingly, Panthers players arrived at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium wearing a string of Kuechly jerseys off the team bus, a nice touch on a night that ended up being about a completely different number on the depth chart.
Carolina heads into the regular preseason 1-0. Arizona drops to 0-1. But the real story out of Canton wasn’t the record. It was an undrafted rookie quarterback who didn’t blink when the game was on the line.
FAQ
What did Haynes King do in the Hall of Fame Game?
Haynes King, an undrafted rookie quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, added 39 rushing yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 5-yard scramble as time expired in a 33-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
What is Haynes King’s college background?
King began his college career at Texas A&M before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he was named ACC Player of the Year in 2025.
Who else played quarterback in the game?
Kenny Pickett started for the Panthers before King entered in the second quarter. For the Cardinals, rookie Carson Beck started before Kedon Slovis took over.
What was the final score of the 2026 Hall of Fame Game?
The Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in Canton, Ohio.
You May Also Like:
