The Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame Game to open the 2026 NFL preseason on August 7 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium [1, 2, 3, 4]. Panthers rookie quarterback Haynes King scored the winning touchdown on the final play with a 5-yard run, sealing the comeback victory [1, 3, 4].
King completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, adding 39 rushing yards in his first NFL outing [1, 3, 4]. Last season, King was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year at Georgia Tech, a credential Panthers coach Dave Canales highlighted. "Haynes did a fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to do, run it, throw it," Canales said after the game [1, 3].
Arizona's rookie quarterback Carson Beck, a third-round pick from Miami, played the entire first half and the first drive of the second half, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown in his preseason debut [1, 5, 2, 4]. Beck praised his own performance, saying, "It feels great to go in and succeed and execute within the offense... You gotta go watch the tape and there’s always so much room to improve" [5]. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur credited Beck’s calm and efficient play, calling it "a good first steppingstone" [1, 5].
The Cardinals took a late 30-27 lead on a 1-yard touchdown pass from backup Kedon Slovis to Bryson Green with 1:55 left in the game, before King’s game-winning drive [1, 3, 4]. Panthers starter Bryce Young was seen supporting King from the sidelines [1, 4]. Both teams rested their starters and gave playing time to backups and rookies throughout the game [1, 4].
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which includes Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Fitzgerald, and Luke Kuechly, was honored during the event [4].
