Carolina Panthers Hall of Fame Game Takeaways: Haynes King strongly impresses, AJ Dillon scores, and WR battle takes shape in Canton
The Hall of Fame Game is in the books and there’s plenty we learned about the depth options throughout this Carolina Panthers roster after the first game of preseason action.
The Carolina Panthers kicked off the 2026 preseason with a Hall of Fame Game win over the Arizona Cardinals in Canton, Ohio, and there was plenty to digest from what turned out to be an exciting first unofficial game of the NFL season.
Bryce Young and the majority of the starters watched from the sidelines as the Panthers’ quarterback depth, running back competition, wide receiver battle, and safety depth all took center stage.
While it’s important not to overreact to preseason game one of four, the Panthers got a valuable first look at several roster battles that will shape the team over the next month before the regular season begins.
Top takeaways from the Carolina Panthers win over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game
Kenny Pickett starts at QB2 but Haynes King steals the show
Young is the unquestioned starter for the Panthers and is looking to earn himself a new contract in 2026, so he sat this one out. Kenny Pickett took the start as the current QB2 on the depth chart and played a couple of drives, finishing 8-for-11 for 62 yards with a sack. The offense struggled early with Pickett at the helm. Carolina’s offense was getting blown up in the middle of the line of scrimmage, penalties set drives back, but Pickett finally lead the team on a scoring drive early in the second quarter before coming out.
The momentum really shifted when undrafted QB3 Haynes King entered the game. Many fans wanted to see what King could do with his legs, but he impressed as a passer first and was scrambling to throw more than run throughout most of the game, which was his goal coming into this game.
King completed over 60 percent of his passes, averaged over 5.0 yards per attempt, and had three total touchdowns. When he did get an opportunity to run, he made the most of it, especially the two runs King had on the final drive, including the game-winning touchdown.
King wasn’t perfect, though. He overthrew a touchdown opportunity to wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. and got a little too excited with another pass in the second-half that could have kept a scoring drive alive, forcing the Panthers to settle for a field goal. Still, King showed promise as a passer, far more than most people might have expected and really showed poise and command during that final game-winning drive. Really impressive stuff for his first NFL action. I’m excited to see more.
If AJ Dillon keeps finding success at his role, he’ll be a hard player to cut
Several running backs got involved in this one for the Panthers with Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks sitting out, but AJ Dillon made the biggest impression in terms of roster watch. In limited action, Dillon had three carries for 18 yards and scored a touchdown on the goal line. He also hauled in an 18-yard completion with 15 yards after the catch.
The rumbling, tumbling style the Panthers expect from Dillon when healthy was on full display. That’s the kind of role Carolina is looking to fill and why they got this guy. If the Panthers keep four backs on the roster, Dillon looks like the guy to fill that spot. The depth in the running back room looked solid across the board looking at potential practice squad options, and it’s a position group worth watching throughout the rest of the preseason.
“I was really pleased with the running backs, I mean from start to finish,” Canales told reporters after the game. “AJ Dillon had some incredible runs. You saw [Anthony Tyus III], even though he had the fumble, it was an incredibly tough, physical, run. And then, of course, Miles Davis rips one off – that’s gotta be our longest run since I’ve been here in the preseason.”
WR battle is going to be very very intriguing over the next month
The top trio in the Panthers’ wide receiver room is established, but the competition for the fourth and fifth spots is where things get fascinating, especially after the Chris Brazzell injury. Three names took center stage on Thursday night: John Metchie III, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Ja’seem Reed.
Carolina notably rotated all three players as returners on special teams, a clear signal that return value will go a long way toward winning that final roster spot. Reed was the one of the three who found the end zone, but all three players topped 30 receiving yards. It’s early, but those three will be worth tracking closely as the preseason continues.
“It’s critical because you play the game with three wideouts for the most part. Guys rotate in and out a little bit here and there, so if a guy’s coming out of a game with 10 or 12 plays, he’s gotta be able to contribute on special teams,” Canales told reporters after the game. “Ja’seem was all over all the phases – returns, covering kicks, different things like that. John Metchie got a nice return – showed something really cool there too. Jimmy had a couple nice ones. All of these guys, they understand the more I can do to help the team, the better my chances are to be able to be here on the 53 and make the team.”
Zakee Wheatley and Lathan Ransom will be demons rotating in at safety
The defensive side of the ball had some issues, and there are depth concerns based on what the reserve players showed early against Arizona quarterback Carson Beck, who was picking Ejiro Evero’s unit apart (although it’s worth mentioning Jonathan Cooley was the one calling the defense tonight). The one position where depth is not a concern, however, is safety.
Lathan Ransom and rookie Zakee Wheatley had strong performances. Ransom was bloodied up on the field and played with high energy. Wheatley was all over the football and even forced a fumble with a textbook Peanut Punch. Those two, as the rotational safeties behind Nick Scott and Tre’von Moehrig, are going to be exciting players for this Panthers defense in 2026.
