CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – The Carolina Panthers added another quarterback, just hours after the NFL draft ended on Saturday.
The Panthers signed Haynes King to an undrafted free agent deal that guaranteed him $250,000, not long after the draft wrapped up on April 25, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.
King joins a Carolina quarterback room that already included Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett and Charlotte native Will Grier.
Young will enter the 2026 season entrenched as the Panthers’ starter with Pickett likely the primary backup. That leaves Grier and King to battle it out for a final roster or practice squad spot.
At 25 years old, King is one of the oldest players in this year’s NFL rookie class. He played six seasons of collegiate football. His first three came at Texas A&M, with the final three at Georgia Tech.
King stands at 6-foot-3, weighs about 200 pounds, and is a true dual-threat quarterback.
He threw for almost 8,000 yards and 55 touchdowns over his three seasons at Georgia Tech, and ran for another nearly 2,300 yards with 36 more scores.
With a guaranteed $250,000 salary, King will likely have a real shot to stick around with the Panthers — even if it is on the practice squad at first. His mobility makes him a good fit behind Young and Pickett, both of whom can also move around.
Interestingly, King is about six months older than Young, who already has three NFL seasons under his belt. Still, though, the additions of King and Pickett give the Panthers much younger backup options compared to when they had Andy Dalton from 2023-2025. Getting younger at the position was a key point for Carolina this offseason.
King and his fellow first-year teammates will hit the field in early May when the Panthers host rookie minicamp. After that, Panthers’ full-team OTAs are slated to begin on May 26, with mandatory minicamp set to start June 9. Training camp will kick off in July.
The Panthers signed quarterback Haynes King (10) as an undrafted free agent.(David Zalubowski | AP)
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