The Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night, thanks to a game-winning touchdown run by undrafted rookie quarterback Haynes King on the final play. King, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year at Georgia Tech last season, completed 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 39 yards and the decisive score.
Comeback Victory
The Panthers rallied from a late deficit after Arizona's Kedon Slovis threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green with 1:55 remaining, giving the Cardinals a 30-27 lead. King then orchestrated a final drive, highlighted by a 26-yard run on third-and-14, to set up his own five-yard touchdown run as time expired.
“Well, that was a lot of fun. Just the back and forth of it. Just a really good game,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “The guys were resilient and finish is what we preach as a team. We practice for these situations, end of half, end of game. ... Haynes did a fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to do, run it, throw it. Really proud of the group.”
Beck Impresses for Arizona
Carson Beck, Arizona's third-round pick from Miami, also had a strong debut. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown, showing poise on the national stage. Beck led the Hurricanes to the national championship game last season, a loss to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana.
“It was a cool environment and for him to just kind of, it's just another game and that's the way he took it and he's been in big ones and that's how his mindset works,” Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said.
Other Notable Performances
Kedon Slovis was 9 of 10 for 106 yards for Arizona. For Carolina, Kenny Pickett started and completed 8 of 11 passes for 62 yards before King replaced him. King's four-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Tyus III in the fourth quarter put Carolina ahead 24-20, and he also threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Ja'seem Reed in the second quarter.
Canales praised Beck's performance from the opposing sideline: “He operated like a professional. He looked fantastic. He was accurate. He was on time. Our rush was decent. He got the ball out, threw some really beautiful passes down the field, up the sideline on some double moves, over the middle, to keep the drive alive in some third-down situations, so tip my hat to him.”
Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The game also honored the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, including Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Fitzgerald, and Luke Kuechly. Cardinals players wore red T-shirts with Fitzgerald's No. 11 during warmups and on the sideline.
“It's a great feeling to know your organization stands behind you,” Fitzgerald said. “I'm really happy they would honor me like this.”
Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his first appearance with the NBC broadcast crew as the lead studio analyst for Football Night in America.
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett and tight end Trey McBride visited the Hall of Fame Museum to see their jerseys displayed for their record-breaking 2025 season. McBride set an NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 126, while Brissett set a single-game record for completions with 47 against San Francisco on November 16.
