On a warm August night in Canton, Ohio, two rookies stepped into the long shadow of the Hall of Fame and made their case for belonging. Haynes King of the Carolina Panthers capped a composed and efficient debut with a last-second rushing touchdown, lifting Carolina past the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the NFL's traditional preseason opener. With starters resting and legends freshly enshrined, the game became a quiet audition for the next generation — a reminder that every era of greatness begins somewhere.
King's last-play TD lifts Panthers past Cardinals in Hall of Fame Game
King punched it in on the last play, a rushing touchdown that sealed the victory.
Mark
Why did both teams sit their starting quarterbacks for a game that mattered enough to be televised nationally?
Mimi
The preseason is about evaluation and development. Young and the Cardinals' starter weren't needed to prove anything. This was a chance to see what the backup options could do under real game conditions.
Mark
So King's performance—was it genuinely impressive, or was he just playing against other backups?
Mimi
That's the right question. He was efficient and composed, which matters. But yes, he was operating against Arizona's reserves too. What stands out is how he managed the moments that counted—the touchdown throws, the final drive. That's what coaches remember.
Mark
Beck had nearly identical passing yards. Why does King's night feel like the story?
Mimi
Because he won. In football, the final score is the only stat that truly matters. King's last-play touchdown is the image people will remember. Beck played well enough to keep it close, but he was on the losing side.
Mark
What does a win in the Hall of Fame Game actually tell you about a team's season?
Mimi
Almost nothing, honestly. It's the first exhibition game. The rosters are incomplete, the schemes are simplified. But it does tell you something about the backup quarterbacks—whether they can manage a game, make decisions, execute under pressure. That's useful information.
Mark
Is there any chance King becomes the Panthers' starter this season?
Mimi
Unlikely. Young is their guy. But King just proved he can step in if needed. That's valuable insurance for any franchise.
O Pulso
- Arizona seized a 30-27 lead with under two minutes remaining, leaving Carolina's backup unit with no margin for error and everything to prove.
- Rookie Carson Beck had kept the Cardinals competitive all night, throwing for 188 yards and a score and refusing to let the game slip away quietly.
- Haynes King answered every challenge — two touchdown passes, 39 rushing yards, and a relentless composure that belied his first NFL appearance.
- King drove Carolina the length of the field in the final moments and punched in a 5-yard rushing score on the game's last play, stunning Arizona and sealing the win.
- The victory landed not just as a preseason result but as a statement: both rookies had earned a second look from their coaching staffs heading into camp.
On a warm August night in Canton, Ohio, two rookies stepped into the long shadow of the Hall of Fame and made their case for belonging. Haynes King of the Carolina Panthers capped a composed and efficient debut with a last-second rushing touchdown, lifting Carolina past the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the NFL's traditional preseason opener. With starters resting and legends freshly enshrined, the game became a quiet audition for the next generation — a reminder that every era of greatness begins somewhere.
Haynes King had never played a snap in an NFL game before Thursday night, but by the time the Hall of Fame Game reached its final seconds, the Georgia Tech rookie had authored one of the more memorable finishes the preseason opener has seen in years. His 5-yard rushing touchdown on the last play of the game gave the Carolina Panthers a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, capping a debut that included 180 passing yards, two touchdown throws, and 39 yards on the ground.
Carolina kept starter Bryce Young on the sideline, turning the evening over to its reserves. King made the most of the opportunity. He connected with Ja'Seem Reed for a score in the second quarter and found Anthony Tyus III for a 4-yard touchdown early in the fourth to push Carolina ahead 24-20. But Arizona would not yield.
The Cardinals leaned on their own rookie, Carson Beck — a third-round pick out of Miami — who moved the ball with quiet precision all night, finishing with 188 yards and a touchdown. When Kedon Slovis engineered a late drive capped by a 1-yard score to Bryson Green with under two minutes remaining, Arizona led 30-27 and appeared to have stolen the game.
King answered. He drove Carolina down the field and scored on the ground with no time left, delivering the kind of finish preseason games rarely produce. The victory unfolded beneath the long shadow of the Hall of Fame's newest inductees — Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Fitzgerald, and Luke Kuechly — whose enshrinement served as a quiet backdrop against which two young quarterbacks began writing the earliest lines of their own stories.
The Carolina Panthers' backup quarterback Haynes King took the field in the Hall of Fame Game on a Thursday night in early August, and by the time the final play unfolded, he had written himself into the opening chapter of the NFL preseason with a 5-yard rushing touchdown that gave Carolina a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
King, a rookie from Georgia Tech, completed his debut with 180 passing yards and two touchdown throws, adding 39 yards on the ground. It was the kind of efficient, composed performance that catches the attention of coaching staffs evaluating depth charts. The Panthers had chosen to keep their starter, Bryce Young, on the sideline for the evening, leaving the field to their reserves. Young watched from the bench, offering encouragement as King orchestrated the offense.
The Cardinals sent out their own rookie signal-caller, Carson Beck, a third-round pick from Miami. Beck moved the ball with precision throughout the night, finishing with 188 passing yards and a touchdown. He kept Arizona in the game despite also being a first-time player operating in an NFL uniform. The exhibition had the feel of a genuine contest, with both teams' backup units trading scores and momentum.
King's night included a 4-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Tyus III early in the fourth quarter that put the Panthers ahead 24-20. He had also connected with Ja'Seem Reed for a score in the second quarter. But Arizona refused to fold. Kedon Slovis, another quarterback in the rotation, engineered a drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green with less than two minutes on the clock, giving the Cardinals a 30-27 lead and what appeared to be control of the game.
Then King led one final drive. The Panthers moved down the field in the closing moments, and King punched it in from 5 yards out on the last play of the game, a rushing touchdown that sealed the victory. It was the kind of finish that preseason games rarely deliver—a genuine, dramatic conclusion rather than a slow fade into garbage time.
The Hall of Fame Game, played annually to open the NFL preseason, carried particular weight in 2026. The Pro Football Hall of Fame had just inducted its newest class: Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Fitzgerald, and Luke Kuechly. Their presence hung over the evening as a reminder of what sustained excellence in professional football looks like. For King and Beck, the night offered a chance to prove they belonged in the conversation about the future of their respective franchises.
Citações Notáveis
King rallied the Panthers on a night when both teams elected to keep their starters on the sideline, with Bryce Young serving as his biggest cheerleader from the bench.— Game narrative
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em Fox News ↗
Technology