Carolina Panthers QB Haynes King received an incredible honor from ESPN. Find out what it was.
Carolina Panthers QB Haynes King received a huge honor from ESPN's Ben Solak.
King is Solak's preseason MVP after just one game.
"An undrafted rookie and the Panthers' QB3, Haynes became the hero of the Hall of Fame game with a winning scamper for six late in the 33-30 victory over the Cardinals," Solak wrote. "King went 21-for-34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns -- no picks! no sacks! -- and tacked on another 39 yards and a score on three carries. His performance was so moving that speculation swirled that the Panthers might use him in a Taysom Hill-esque role this season! (He might be the Panthers' sneak quarterback, as they don't ask the undersized Bryce Young to do so -- but he'd need to be active as backup QB over Kenny Pickett because he can't go in the game as the emergency No. 3 QB without injuries ahead of him.)"
Hopefully we get to see King play again this preseason. He's expected to miss time with a hamstring injury.
Panthers coach Dave Canales believes King's injury happened on his game-winning touchdown score in the Hall of Fame game.
"From what I understood, it was on that last play where he kind of lunged and dove for the goal line and really gave everything he had literally," Canales said. "And so we'll just keep evaluating him on a weekly basis."
The Panthers signed Kyle Trask as a third quarterback after King's injury. Trask gives Carolina a third QB behind starter Bryce Young and backup Kenny Pickett.
King will not play on Saturday (8/15) against the Buffalo Bills. Young and the starters will play about 10-20 plays.
"I'm excited to just go out there with the guys," Young said. "Any time you get to play live football it's a privilege. especially after last week and just to be around it. You get that itch again."
Last season, Young finished with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, Young enters this season with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform.
