Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers live updates: Panthers win 33-30 on last-second TD scramble by Haynes King

Who knows how many minutes these guys will play in games that count this season, but the backup rookie quarterbacks were fantastic in the 2026 NFL preseason opener.

Carson Beck got the start for the Cardinals, and the third-round draft pick completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards, a TD and a 125.4 rating.

But he eventually was outdueled by the Panthers’ Haynes King, who came off the bench to complete 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two TDs. The undrafted quarterback also rushed for 39 yards on three carries, including a 5-yard TD as time expired.

The other quarterbacks who played also were decent. Kenny Pickett started and was 8 of 11 passing for 62 yards for Carolina, and Arizona’s Kedon Slovis completed 9 of 10 passes for a 106 yads, a TD and a game-high 144.2 QB rating.

This certainly didn’t feel like a preseason game, and it was a nice way to honor a 2026 Hall of Fame class that will be inducted Saturday with the offensive genius of Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Roger Craig.

Haynes King put an exclamation point on an outstanding night for rookie quarterbacks.

Haynes King leads Panthers to 33-30 win on final play of Hall of Fame Game

Haynes King wasn’t drafted despite being the ACC Player of the Year last season.

• Charean Williams,

• Charean Williams,

The undrafted QB out of Georgia Tech led the Panthers to the winning touchdown on a 16-play, 65-yard drive.

On third and goal from the 5-yard line with 2 seconds left, King scrambled for the winning touchdown. He dove to get the ball across the plane of the end zone while barely keeping his legs off the ground.

After initially being ruled out of bounds, Bryson Green is ruled to have gotten down before sliding out of the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown catch from Kedon Slovis.

The Cardinals go ahead 30-27 over the Panthers with 1:55 to play.

A 36-yard run by Miles Davis sets up a 37-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald, putting the Panthers up 27-23 with 6:57 to play in the fourth quarter.

Courtesy of PFT, here’s a rundown of how Carson Beck did in his impressive debut for the Arizona Cardinals.

Carson Beck throws for 188 yards, TD in impressive preseason debut

Carson Beck has played in much bigger games than the Hall of Fame Game, so it probably should come as no surprise that the lights weren’t too bright or the stage too big.

• Charean Williams,

• Charean Williams,

Capping a nine-play, 53-yard drive behind QB Kedon Slovis, Chad Ryland boots a 35-yard field goal to cut the Panthers’ lead to 24-23 with 10:19 to play in the fourth quarter.

The NBC Sports’ NFL studio crew got in the act with the ice bucket challenge to salute former star running back Chris Johnson, who is battling ALS.

After converting a fourth and 2 for a 22-yard pass, Haynes King tossed a 4-yard TD to Anthony Tyus III for a 24-20 lead with 14:20 to play in the game.

Since relieving starter Kenny Pickett, King has completed 16 of 22 passes for 150 yards, two TDs and a QB rating of 121.4.

Not bad for an undrafted quarterback.

Bryce Young didn’t play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, but the Panthers’ starting quarterback was a constant sideline presence, encouraging his teammates after seemingly every play with smiles and high-fives.

Young is the unquestioned leader in Carolina, and he talked with NBC Sports analyst Mike Tomlin before the game about his expectations for his fourth season.

“Every year you have to make sure you’re learning your new team,” Young said. “I’m grateful to have a lot of guys I’ve been around for a while now, but year in and year out, you have to make sure you’re learning the new guys coming in and making sure they know the standard and what we stand for and continue to push them.”

Former Carolina Panthers teammates Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly are now sharing coaching duties at a high school football team in the Charlotte area.

Olsen technically is the head coach, but you wouldn’t know it the way he gushed about Kuechly in an interview with NBC Sports’ Melissa Stark ahead of the former Pro Bowl linebacker’s Hall of Fame induction Saturday:

Arizona capitalized on recovering a fumble near midfield, driving 33 yards in 10 plays behind new quarterback Kedon Slovis, who completed his first two passes for 29 yards.

A 43-yard field goal by Chad Ryland puts the Cardinals back ahead 17-14 with 4:42 to play in the third quarter.

On a fourth and 5 from the Panthers’ 41, Arizona first-year head coach Mike LaFleur called an aggressive deep ball.

Carson Beck nearly connected with Reggie Virgil on the back-shoulder throw downfield, but the ball was knocked from Virgil’s hands.

Panthers will take over with 10:15 left in the third, and the game tied 17-17.

If you like offense, the first half of the first game of the 2026 NFL preseason has been your jam.

The Cardinals and Panthers combined to produce more than 400 yards of offense in the first half,as 18 receivers made catches from three quarterbacks. The key performers for each team:

Panthers

QB Haynes King, 11 of 17, 94 yards, TD; QB Kenny Pickett 8 of 11, 62 yards
RB AJ Dillon, three carries, 18 yards, TD
WR John Metchie III, three catches for 38 yards
WR Ja’seem Reed, two catches for 30 yards, TD

Cardinals

QB Carson Beck, 11 of 14, 148 yards, TD
RB Zonovan Knight, 11 carries, 56 yards
RB Corey Kiner, 5 carries, 22 yards, TD
WR Jalen Brooks, three catches for 99 yards
WR Simi Fehoko, one catch for 5 yards, TD

Haynes King made his first big rookie mistake and cost the Panthers a touchdown.

Missing a wide-open Jimmy Horn Jr. for a walk-in touchdown on second and 10 from the 15-yard line, King nearly took a sack on the next play.

Carolina took a 33-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald for a 17-17 tie heading into halftime.

After four consecutive TD drives, two by each team, the Carolina defense stopped Arizona and Carson Beck in the red zone.

The Cardinals settled for a 35-yard field goal by Chad Ryland and a 17-14 lead with 1:46 remaining in the first half.

During his career as a Hall of Fame kicker, Adam Vinatieri Jr. was a star for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

For his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, he chose to be presented by Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon — and he explained why in this pregame interview.

Behind Haynes King, an undrafted quarterback who played for Texas A&M and Georgia Tech, the Panthers marched 65 yards in 12 plays for a 15-yard touchdown catch by Ja’seem Reed.

Showing some nifty feet, King completed 5 of 8 passes for 44 yards and scrambled for 8 yards.

It’s a Hall of Fame shootout brewing in Canton.

This game technically doesn’t count, but that didn’t matter for Jalen Brooks.

The fourth-year wide receiver, who played in only five games last year for Arizona, hung on and bounced right back up after getting clobbered on this 49-yard catch that set up a TD for the Cardinals.

Behind another touch throw by Carson Beck, the Cardinals have gone up 14-7.

Beck dropped a nice 5-yard fade pass to Simi Fehoko, the seventh Arizona receiver to catch a pass tonight.

Beck is 10 of 12 passing with 134 yards for a QB rating of 141.0.

Carolina’s offense is without first-string quarterback Bryce Young tonight, but the Panthers looked composed behind backup quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Putting together a 10-play, 67-yard drive, the Panthers scored on a 1-yard touchdown by AJ Dillon.

Corey Kiner punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to give Arizona a 7-0 lead and cap an impressive 13-play drive that mostly was keyed by quarterback Carson Beck’s accuracy.

Completing 8 of 9 passes for 81 yards, Carson Beck has driven the Cardinals the length of the field to the 1-yard line as the first quater ends.

Beck, who starred at quarterback for Georgia and Miami, has spread the ball around, hitting six Arizona receivers on a drive that has chewed up 12 plays so far.

During a pregame interview with Maria Taylor and Mike Tomlin, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald recalled the impact of his late father on his legendary career.

Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a trailblazing sports journalist, died June 1 at 71 in Edina, Minnesota. He had planned to present his son at Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“There is no journey without him,” Fitzgerald said. “The sacrifices that he made. Every door that he opened. I know he’s here with me. I can feel his presence. It’s still very emotional. I’m so happy I had a father that great for 42 years.”

After scrambling for a first down and completing his first two passes, Carson Beck had a pass broken up by the Panthers’ defense on a third and 2.

Arizona pinned Carolina inside its 5 with a nifty punt.

With Kenny Pickett getting the start at quarterback, the Panthers went three and out on their first series.

The Arizona Cardinals will be without running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick out of Notre Dame.

Love, who finished third in Heisman voting last season, has looked good in training camp and drew many fans seeking autographs. He appropriately was wearing a No. 11 jersey for Cardinals all-time great Larry Fitzgerald, who will be a first-ballot inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

From NBC Sports’ betting experts, here are some plays for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and the 2026 preseason.

Is Aaron Donald on the verge of ending his retirement and returning to the Los Angeles Rams?

In this pregame report, Pro Football Talk NFL insider Mike Florio said there could be news in the next few days after the former defensive star’s recent tryout.

As the rookie on set, Mike Tomlin jokes that “he’s looking forward to going undefeated” as a broadcaster.

(He also doesn’t miss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dorm rooms in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he spent “a calendar year of my life.”)

During a pregame interview with NBC Sports, Mike LaFleur got a surprise visit. Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur was patched in from his office remotely to share a touchig and humorous moment with his younger brother before his NFL head coaching debut with the Arizona Cardinals.

“You got the challenge flag?” Matt asked Mike.

“Thanks for bringing that up, that’s probably something I was going to miss,” Mike said. “I did tell the officials, Matt, that I’m not going to slam the challenge flag like my brother. They got a nice kick out of that.”

Admitting that “he’s been known to do that a few times” with the challenge flag, Matt then delivered some words of encouragement to his brother. “Hey man, you go into this opp, go let it rip, have fun, and I’m proud of you, buddy. Love you, man.”

During a recent interview with Chris Simms, Mike LaFleur detailed how he had learned some lessons from his brother and as an assistant for head coaches Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.

“Being with them to see how they manage their days while still being great offensive coordinators and play callers while not losing sight of their offense with the responsibilities of the head coach.” LaFleur said. “You quickly realize there’s a great urgency. People love the vibe and coming to work every day. It’s just about ball. If you can’t answer if this is going to make this player or team better, then what are we talking about?”

In a show of solidarity for their soon to be Hall of Fame linebacker, the Carolina Panthers arrived with a special salute to Luke Kuechly and his No. 59 jersey.

There will be a lot of focus tonight on the Panthers’ defense, which lost edge rusher Nic Scourton to an ACL tear in first day of training camp.

“I felt bad for the whole organization because this is the first year in a long time where you looked at it and they might be a real pain in the butt, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” analyst Chris Simms said.

Tonight’s game is really a warmup for the weekend’s main event in Canton, Ohio — Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

The list of five players slated to receive gold jackets is a doozy:

• QB Drew Brees
• WR Larry Fitzgerald
• LB Luke Kuechly
• K Adam Vinatieri
• RB Roger Craig

In a recent interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Brees discussed his exhaustive preparation for his induction speech.

“I’m a voracious note-taker,” Brees said. “Whenever I listen to a podcast, read an article, hear a quote that’s meaningful or causes me to have a reflection, I’ll journal it down. I’ve got pages and pages of notes that’s my HOF speech. They give you 6 to 8 minutes. How are you supposed to summarize a 20-year NFL career in 6 to 8 minutes? It’s impossible to thank everyone. I think you also are trying to make it entertaining for people that are there.”

If you’re lucky enough to make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mike Florio and Devin McCourty discussed their must-see items at the shrine (hint: think bling).

NFL teams tend to sit many of their starters for preseason games, and it’s highly unlikely that Panthers quarterback Bryce Young or Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett will play any minutes tonight.

But both still are major storylines as the offensive leaders of their teams, and Chris Simms addressed their outlooks for the 2026 season.

It’s a critical year for Young, who led the Panthers to the playoffs last year but has yet to sign an extension after being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Simms said the Panthers still are evaluatting if Young will be the long-term answer at quarterback.

“He’s a good little athlete,” Simms said. “He does have good feel for the position and anticipating throws, but at the end of the day, this is a guy that, because of his size, there are plays turned down because of not hanging in the pocket or not seeing it. The aggressive decision-making is not quite where I want it to be. At a base level, the throwing is just not good enough for me to rank him above this. We’re in an era that guys have got to make plays with their arms. Bryce Young, there’s still work to be done. I’m not sold he’s there long-term future there. I don’t think (the Panthers) are.”

After becoming the starter for the Cardinals last season, Brissett earned a new deal that will pay $15.5 million this year.

Simms said the journeyman quarterback was deserving because “he played really well last year” after starting as the backup to Kyler Murray. At 33 years old, Brissett is an “aggressive decision-maker with sneaky athleticism,” Simms said.

The Arizona Cardinals have arrived at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and rookie quarterback Carson Beck will get the start tonight against the Carolina Panthers. (Jacoby Brissett, who recently signed a new contract with the Cardinals, will be the team’s first-string starter entering the 2026 season.)

After leading the University of Miami to the College Football Playoff Championship against Indiana, Beck was Arizona’s third-round pick in the April draft.

First-year head coach Mike LaFleur said Beck told the team’s website that Beck was coming off a strong practice last Sunday.

“I thought his accuracy is on point,” LaFleur said. “I thought it was probably the best, and I thought I think our second and third groups have operated a pretty high clip thus far. Probably the best that they have operated in terms of just you know getting set and going. … They were mimicking the plays that we’re going to run on Thursday night, so that they have a good feel for it.”

Beck said his goal tonight is just getting acclimated. “I think the biggest thing for me, especially just as we’re going through training camp and we’re still building chemistry with the guys, is can we be on the same page as an offense,” Beck said Tuesday. “Are my eyes in the right spot? Am I making the right decisions? Am I making the right decisions? Am I making the right reads? Am I getting through my progressions quickly?

“And then ultimately, getting in and out of the huddle and doing things the right way at a very high level. That’s what success is for me, and I think our offense when we’re out there operating.”

As the preseason begins tonight in Canton, Ohio, it seems a good time for a reminder that the NFL season will officially begin a little earlier in 2026.

Wednesday, Sept. 9 will mark the first kickoff — a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks play host to the New England Patriots at Lumen Field. Coverage on NBC and Peacock will begin at 7 p.m. ET with “Football Night in America.”

Here’s everything to know for Week 1 and the full Sunday Night Football schedule for NBC and Peacock
:

When does the 2026 NFL Season Start? Schedule, TV Channel, Live Stream, Week 1 Matchups

The 2026 NFL season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the Patriots vs Seahawks on NBC and Peacock.

• Mary Omatiga,

• Mary Omatiga,

There’s a run on massive contract extensions for star running backs ahead of tonight’s first game of the 2026 preseason.

The Detroit Lions reportedly will make Jahmyr Gibbs the highest-paid running back in NFL history with a three-year, $75.75 million deal.

That comes on the heels of Bijan Robinson’s big deal to remain with the Atlanta Falcons for the next five seasons. Mike Florio has all the details of that contract here.

Earlier today, star RB Jonathan Taylor reportedly agreed to a contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts. Here’s the analysis from Pro Football Talk:

Tonight’s game will be called by NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Football” announcing team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) with Terry McAulay as rules analyst.

The “Football Night in America” studio show will be on location in Canton, Ohio, before and during the game with host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, and NFL insider Mike Florio.

The studio crew also will welcome the debut of Mike Tomlin, the former Super Bowl‑winning head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who has joined NBC Sports as a studio analyst this season. On Pro Football Talk, Florio explained why he believes that fans will enjoy Tomlin’s “direct” approach to analyzing the game.

Live coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET with “Football Night in America on NBC” and Peacock.

Kickoff between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers is at 8 p.m.

How to watch the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game: TV, live stream for Panthers vs Cardinals

Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET this Sunday on NBC and Peacock.

• Mary Omatiga,

• Mary Omatiga,