5 things Panthers made impossible to miss in dramatic Hall of Fame win

The Carolina Panthers kicked off the 2026 football season with a dramatic walk-off victory against the Arizona Cardinals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. And there was a lot to unpack.

It was the greatest Hall of Fame game ever played. That may not be an exaggeration, as both teams were trading points for most of the night. The Panthers' hero was third-string quarterback Haynes King, who showcased his rushing ability to get Carolina the victory.

There is so much to break down from Thursday night's unofficial kickoff to football. Here are six takeaways from the Panthers' preseason opener.

Major observations from Carolina Panthers' preseason win over the Cardinals

Haynes King is a hero

One of the biggest things I wanted to see from King was efficient football and some decent tape. He did more than that, completing 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two passing touchdowns while rushing for 39 yards and the walk-off score with two seconds left in regulation.

King was fantastic on Thursday night, showcasing incredible poise for an undrafted free agent. The toughness he displayed in college showed up time and time again, along with impressive accuracy in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

This will be a long discussion over the weekend, but King may have made the Panthers' backup quarterback role a legitimate competition going forward.

Bam Martin-Scott, Jackson Kuwatch shine

One of the Panthers' undrafted standouts from last summer, Bam Martin-Scott, made some impressive plays with strong tackles in space, finishing with four on the night. Across the position, I was underwhelmed by the few snaps Trevin Wallace played, and Claudin Cherelus didn't impress as much, pending a film review.

However, seventh-round pick Jackson Kuwatch had a good showing on special teams coverage and at linebacker with physicality and intriguing tools to build in the coming seasons. He'll make the roster as a key asset on the latter unit.

Open competition on kickoff and punt return roles

If you're an offensive skill player at the bottom of the depth chart, having multiple roles on special teams helps your case to make the 53-man roster. On Thursday night, a handful of players got reps on kick and punt return duties, including Trevor Etienne, John Metiche, Jimmy Horn Jr, and Ja'seem Reed.

Reed seems to have the lead amongst the three wideouts to be the sixth and final pass-catcher on the roster. He is a big-bodied pass-catcher who has made the most plays in training camp. However, one other receiver made his case.

Jimmy Horn Jr. makes his latest case

Horn led the team in receiving yards (44) and catches (4), displaying his speed on kick return duties and in space with some impressive explosiveness after the catch. His balance to fight off would-be tacklers was also impressive for someone with a smaller stature.

This is the type of game that Horn needed to keep himself in contention for a potential seventh spot at wide receiver. The more he can play as a kick return specialist with good gains any chance he gets, including his receiving prowess, the better his case of making the 53 becomes.

Brad Idzik impresses in first preseason game as full-time play-caller

For the past two years, the efficiency and tempo of the Panthers' offense during the preseason were slow and anemic.

Last year's third-string quarterback, Jack Plummer, seemed to limit what Carolina's offense could accomplish. However, with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik now as the team's play-caller and a new developmental quarterback, the offense was at a different pace.

King worked with mostly half-field reads and progressions; the offense stayed on schedule with great sequencing and game management from the start of the Panthers' third offensive series to the final drive of the game. We will see in the coming weeks what the first-team offense displays.

If Thursday night was any indication of what could transpire this upcoming season with a full playbook at their disposal, Idzik and Carolina's offense could see an exciting rebound.

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