Panthers Could Have the Next Taysom Hill on the 2026 Roster

Carolina Panthers fans have undoubtedly hated seeing Taysom Hill over the years. While it's true that most NFL-level athletes could do what Hill did with the New Orleans Saints, they typically didn't, and that made Hill a uniquely difficult matchup.

His ability to run, throw, and catch the ball made him hard to defend. It was hard to know what the Saints were going to do when he was on the field, and that certainly put opposing defenses, like Carolina's, on their heels.

One could imagine how the Panthers could've done that. At times, they had dual-threats like Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey, but they didn't really do all three very often. What if the 2026 Panthers had a player like that?

Depending on how things shake out with the roster, Haynes King might just be that.

Haynes King could be Taysom Hill for the Panthers

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) looks to pass against the BYU Cougars | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Haynes King is ridiculously athletic. In college, he was one of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks. His legs were a real weapon. He scored a 9.65 RAS score, which ranks high in pretty much every area.

Haynes King put up phenomenal numbers at the QB position, pretty much across the board you really want this kind of athleticism if you're looking for a QB who can threaten with his legs. pic.twitter.com/QWTwiYoOy8
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026

This doesn't mean he's going to be an elite route-runner or a viable pass-catcher, but he's certainly athletic enough to catch a ball and utilize open space like Taysom Hill once could. In fact, King was specifically asked about that sort of role with the Panthers.

He said he is open to doing it all, but his primary goal is to be a quarterback. However, he might not be that to start, and the Panthers would probably benefit from having someone who could really work in some gadget plays.

Haynes King says he is open to a Taysom Hill-type role but first and foremost wants to be a QB. pic.twitter.com/SmFIbt5Jsr
— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 9, 2026

The Panthers' offense has been unfortunately bland and stale. They rarely try any trickery, and they don't do a whole lot that you haven't seen before. That's not always a bad thing, but creativity is usually good.

And in this case, King would allow them to be extremely creative. They could use double-pass plays with Bryce Young and King on the field. They could do screen passes to King that give him the option to run or pass. They could both line up in the backfield and confuse defenses.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) during warm ups before the game | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

This would require real commitment from the Panthers and Haynes King. They'd have to use King enough that the defense does think twice when he's on the field, and King would have to be committed to doing things out of his comfort zone and not strictly being a quarterback.

King also has to make the roster first, but if he does, the Panthers could really end up with a special weapon on offense.

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