Haynes King gained some well-deserved plaudits for an outstanding preseason debut. The Carolina Panthers quarterback is now dealing with a hamstring injury, but his performance in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game has given general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales a real dilemma.
Do they risk sneaking King onto the practice squad, or do they take him through onto the 53-man roster to continue his development?
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, it will be the latter.
Haynes King might be too valuable for Carolina Panthers to sneak on the practice squad
Schefter believes the Panthers will take him through onto the 53-man roster. Not only that, but he also thought the Georgia Tech product could be utilized in a Taysom Hill-type role while working on other areas of his game.
"Haynes King is someone who I think is going to have a role there in Carolina this season. He's going to make the team, and it wouldn't shock me if they wind up using him in a Taysom Hill role in that same division."
It was only one game, but King showcased traits that suggest he could be much more than a gadget option with a little extra refinement.
King's poise, ability to make the right throws, and the swiftness with which he went through his progressions were a big surprise. He did not look like an undrafted rookie getting his first taste of game-day action in the NFL. The exceptional athleticism on display was just a bonus.
Bryce Young is the top guy in Carolina. Kenny Pickett will back him up, and the Panthers also signed Kyle Trask after King missed time. But if Canales was looking for a genuine development project to mold within his scheme, he may have found it.
The Panthers saw something in King. He came in for a pre-draft visit, and he was a high-priority UDFA target once the 2026 draft concluded. After a strong role in Carolina's warm-up win, other teams will see it, too.
Haynes King could be much more than another Taysom Hill with extra development
That makes waiving him during final cuts incredibly risky, especially if they see a future for King in some capacity.
Teams are always looking for quarterback help. King might not be the size of Hill to fill a like-for-like role, but he would open up the playbook in short-yardage situations. Young isn't the most physically imposing, but having someone like this for quarterback sneaks or even wildcat packages isn't a bad tool to have in the arsenal.
King has momentum. Not being on the field to build on it right now is disappointing, but at least he got the chance to showcase what he could be capable of in a competitive NFL setting once a few extra tweaks to his game are figured out.
For players starting from the bottom, that is always the primary objective.
The Panthers have a conundrum on their hands. Morgan and Canales will have a good idea of where King is and how he fits. But they also know his preseason performance will not have gone unnoticed.
And that is the key factor that could tip the scales in King's favor.
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