QB Haynes King shows great promise in preseason debut for Panthers

“We will watch your career with great interest,” so said then-Senator Palpatine to a young Anakin Skywalker at the end of 1999’s Phantom Menace.

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Haynes King may not have shown Anakin’s otherworldly potential just yet, but his NFL debut was impressive enough for us to sit up and pay attention during a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.

Coming in, we knew that King was a potent rushing threat, having scored 37 touchdowns on the ground in college. King did show that ability off a few times, including on the game-winning score as time expired.

What we didn’t expect, though, was how decisive and aggressive King would be throwing the ball in his very first action as a pro.

King entered the game midway through the second quarter—subbing in for an accurate, but unaggressive performance from Kenny Pickett. King changed the dynamic instantly, showing more of a gunslinger mentality compared to the veteran backup.

In addition to flashing some genuine arm power, King made the right decisions and proved capable of leading multiple scoring drives—at least against the second and third-stringers for a defense on a team that will likely be the worst in the NFC this year. But in any case, King ended his first possession with a nice touchdown pass on the move to wide receiver Ja’seem Reed.

Haynes King and Ja’seem Reed get 6️⃣ more on the board for the @Panthers@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/L9LtMbeYnx

— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026

King also had a great thing going on his next drive—making quick, smart decisions with the ball and moving the chains as the clock wound down at the end of the first half. Unfortunately, just when he got into the red zone, King appeared to get a little overheated.

He could have hit wide receiver John Metchie III for a touchdown, but put too much mustard on his pass. He then followed with the exact same mistake to a wide open Jimmy Horn. For an encore, King ended the drive by running the wrong direction, forcing a field goal attempt.

King’s best throw of the night came late in the third quarter. He might have moved the chains on the previous play thanks to another quick scramble, but a holding call put the Panthers in a third-and-15.

No matter, as King answered the call with a laser to the far sideline that hit Horn right when and where it needed to, resulting in a first down plus an extra 15 yards after a late hit on Horn from an Arizona defender.

Have we finally unlocked Jimmy Horn Jr. ? pic.twitter.com/GS1Q8rIKCI

— Unnecessary Bluntness Owner/Coach/QB (@DuncOnDemand) August 7, 2026

Early in the fourth quarter, King posted another touchdown pass on the run—very similar to his throw to Reed. This time, he connected with running back Anthony Tyus III for a 5-yard score.

For a finale, King ran his way into the end zone and dove across the goal line to clinch a 33-30 win. King finished the evening having completed 21 of his 34 throws for two touchdowns and a 95.2 passer rating, along with 39 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Haynes King showing off his speed!@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/oqCTM8AkKu

— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026

HAYNES KING WINS IT FOR THE PANTHERS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/HESbUZGhBN

— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026

Overall, we saw a hell of a lot to like from King in this game—and obviously, some things that he’ll need to work on, which is to be expected from any rookie. While you can only read so much into any preseason game, especially this one, King did appear to have a higher ceiling than Pickett—at least tonight.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: QB Haynes King shows great promise in preseason debut for Panthers