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Haynes King, an undrafted rookie signal-caller, engineered a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, punching in the game-winning touchdown on the final play to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game. King completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards in the preseason opener that neither team’s starters took part in.
The Georgia Tech standout, who earned Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year honors last season, threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Tyus III in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to put Carolina ahead 24-20. His 15-yard scoring strike to Ja’seem Reed came in the second quarter, while his late-game heroics included a crucial 26-yard run on third-and-14 that kept the Panthers’ final drive alive. “Haynes did a fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to do, run it, throw it,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said.
Arizona mounted its own fourth-quarter push when Kedon Slovis connected with Bryson Green for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:55 remaining, giving the Cardinals a 30-27 lead. However, King responded by leading Carolina down the field to set up his winning score on the game’s final play. Bryce Young, the Panthers’ starting quarterback, cheered King on from the sideline throughout the contest.
Third-round draft pick Carson Beck impressed for Arizona, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown. Beck engineered a 98-yard scoring drive that featured a 35-yard completion to Jalen Brooks on third-and-7 and concluded with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko. Arizona rookie coach Mike LaFleur praised Beck’s poise despite the national stage: “He operated like a professional. He looked fantastic.”
Slovis completed 9 of 10 attempts for 106 yards in relief action. King is expected to serve as Carolina’s third-string quarterback behind starter Bryce Young and veteran Kenny Pickett, who opened the game and completed 8 of 11 passes for 62 yards before being replaced.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly. Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his debut as a studio analyst for NBC’s “Football Night in America” during the broadcast.
Arizona running back Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, did not play despite hoping to convince LaFleur to allow him on the field. The Panthers will face Buffalo on August 15, while the Cardinals travel to Las Vegas on August 13.
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