Why Haynes King Probably Won't Be QB for Panthers and That's Fine

Dont expect to see Haynes King suit up as QB for the Panthers

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (QB09) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

An intriguing part of the Carolina Panthers' offseason is seeing which undrafted free-agent rookies make the roster. Almost every year, teams find gems in the UDFA market that can contribute immediately despite not being drafted.

The Panthers brought in some interesting prospects through the UDFA process, but one of them stands out the most to one NFL analyst.

NFL Analyst highlights Haynes King in Panthers' UDFA class

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) looks to pass against the BYU Cougars in the third quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport dropped his list of UDFA prospects each NFL team should be excited for this upcoming season. The prospect named for the Panthers was former Georgia Tech QB, Haynes King.

King was one of the best QB's in the country for roughly three years since he transferred to Georgia Tech. An outstanding dual-threat QB who had multiple seasons of over 25 passing touchdowns and and over 10 rushing touchdowns.

Despite King's success in College, he's a little older for a rookie, being 25 years old right now, which is already older than Bryce Young, who's entering his fourth year in the league. Purely as a passer, King just isn't equipped to succeed as a full-time QB.

Even with these limitations, Davenport sees still sees King as an asset, outlining his potential as a "Taysom Hill" type of prospect who could do a little bit of everything for the Panthers offense if developed the right way.

Panthers Will be Just Fine Without Haynes King as a Full-Time QB

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Haynes King showed hes a capable athlete not only at Georgia Tech with his rushing tape, but at the NFL Scouting Combine, where King ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. His athleticism alone will get him opportunities in the league for a while.

The other reason the Panthers will be okay without King at center is that Bryce Young has shown he can thrive in high-leverage moments as the Panthers' starting QB. Balling out and keeping up with the NFL MVP Matthew Stafford in the NFC Wild Card round, leading the league in game-winning drives since 2023, Bryce has everything in front of him as a QB in the league.

If, for some reason, Young's production falls off a cliff and the Panthers lose faith in him, the 2027 NFL Draft class is loaded with awesome QB talents. There's more than one solution for the Panthers' QB room that doesn't require trying to make Haynes King work.

Carolina ideally won't have to worry about QB for a long time, but if they do, they won't look to Haynes King, and that's okay.