Panthers' Kenny Pickett Experiment May Force Haynes King Into Elevated Role

The Carolina Panthers shuffled their QB room around this offseason. They traded Andy Dalton, signed Kenny Pickett, signed Will Grier, and signed UDFA Haynes King.

Grier retired, but the other two are still around during training camp. Pickett is the backup, but so far, he's been wholly uninspiring. And the level at which he's played thus far might open the door for King to make a move.

Kenny Pickett may force Panthers to elevate Haynes King

Carolina Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (12) throws watched by head coach Dave Canales | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kenny Pickett has not had a good training camp, to put it mildly. He had a sequence last week that is the stuff of nightmares.

Kenny Pickett 11v11 series:

Sack

Trips and fumbles ball, picks it back up, but would’ve been sack

Sack
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) July 24, 2026

Three sacks in a row, and one of them included a fumble after tripping. It is reminiscent of how awful that Andy Dalton start against the Buffalo Bills was.

Obviously, the backup quarterback position is pretty inconsequential to the Panthers. If Bryce Young goes down, they are not going to be able to survive that whether it's Pickett, Haynes King, or Will Grier back out of retirement backing him up.

But the Panthers also know that they're trying to contend, and they have to have a backup plan in place. Last year, having Dalton make that spot start for Young wasn't ideal, but it didn't seem to matter much at the time until the Panthers made their playoff push.

This whole season is a playoff push, so having the best backup is important. The whole reason the Panthers traded Dalton and signed Pickett was to get younger and more athletic behind Young.

Well, Haynes King is younger and much more athletic than Pickett. And if Pickett continues down this path, the Panthers have might a tough decision to make.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (12) walks across the field during the first day | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pickett is the known commodity, but he's known as a former bust. King is the unknown, but his athleticism is really exciting. Right now, it's not really a competition. King is mainly trying to force the Panthers to carry three quarterbacks.

Pickett, however, is not inspiring much confidence, and that could give the UDFA a backdoor opening to not only making the roster but becoming the official backup. Dalton couldn't cut it anymore, so Carolina moved on.

If Pickett also can't cut it, will they move on from him? He's only on a one-year deal, so it would be surprising if they cut the veteran, who can also help mentor Young a little bit. But if he struggles, it wouldn't be crazy to see King seize an elevated role.

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