Panthers QB Haynes King week-to-week with hamstring injury after game-winning TD vs. Cardinals

Carolina Panthers quarterback Haynes King is week-to-week with a hamstring injury, per The Athletic’s Joe Person.

King is just a few days removed from being the Panthers hero when he scored the game-winning touchdown in last Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Carolina had only six seconds left in the game, down 30-27. King took matters into his own hands and took off for the end zone, avoiding defenders to score the game-winning five-yard rushing touchdown.

The quarterback has been in a battle with veteran QB Kenny Pickett to be the backup to starter Bryce Young. Reports in training camp were that King had been impressing, and he showed that they were accurate in Thursday’s win.

King finished the game 21 of 34 for 180 yards with two passing touchdowns. He added 39 yards and another touchdown on the ground, with no carry bigger than the game-winner.

The rookie went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He started his career with Texas A&M in 2020, but played in only two games, leading to a redshirt season.

King got the chance to finally start in 2022, but played in only six games before he suffered a season-ending injury. This resulted in a medical redshirt, granting an extra year of eligibility.

The QB chose to transfer and spent the final three years of his collegiate career at Georgia Tech. With the Yellow Jackets, he had 7,907 yards, 55 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.

Last season, King played in 12 games for Georgia Tech. He finished with 2,951 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. King continued being a dual-threat quarterback, adding 953 yards and 15 more touchdowns on 185 carries.

Person reported that the Panthers are expected to bring in another quarterback while King recovers.

Young is the obvious starter, but the role of his backup remains up for grabs. It belonged to Andy Dalton last season, but he was traded for late-round draft capital to the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. Currently, Young, Pickett and King are the only quarterbacks on the roster.

Since the Panthers played in the Hall of Fame game, the team has three more preseason games left to play.