The Carolina Panthers will keep Bryce Young out of Thursday nightâs Hall of Fame Game, giving veteran backup Kenny Pickett the start against the Arizona Cardinals.
Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer reported August 3 that neither Young nor the Panthersâ other established starters will play in Canton, Ohio. Undrafted rookie Haynes King is expected to follow Pickett at quarterback.
The decision does not signal a competition for Youngâs job. It reflects the unusual preseason calendar facing Carolina and the different questions the Panthers need answered at quarterback.
Young is preparing to lead a team that won the NFC South last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Pickett and King, meanwhile, are still establishing their places behind him.
Panthers Have Little Reason to Expose Bryce Young
The Hall of Fame Game gives Carolina four preseason contests rather than the usual three. That additional game allows head coach Dave Canales to evaluate the bottom of the roster without immediately exposing his most important players.
The Panthersâ official website had already identified Young as the starter, Pickett as the veteran backup and King as the developmental rookie following Will Grierâs July retirement. The team also suggested King would receive significant preseason work because starters ordinarily do not participate in the Canton opener.
Sitting Young therefore amounts to workload management, not a demotion.
Carolina has more to gain by evaluating Pickett behind reserve offensive linemen and with receivers fighting for roster positions. Pickett has made 27 career starts and joined the Panthers after stops with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders.
He gives Carolina a more experienced insurance option behind Young. But the preseason will help determine whether the Panthers can trust him to keep the offense functional should Young miss regular-season time.
King faces a different test. With only three quarterbacks on the roster, the Georgia Tech product should receive an extended opportunity to show whether Carolina can develop him as its third quarterback.
Bryce Youngâs Contract Future Remains Unsettled
Youngâs absence also comes as his long-term future remains one of the organizationâs largest pending decisions.
Executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis said during the offseason that the Panthers had not held extension discussions with Youngâs representative. Tilis described Young as an âascending playerâ and said the organization remained interested in seeing where his development led.
Carolina exercised Youngâs fifth-year option, keeping the former No. 1 overall pick under team control through the 2027 season. That removes the need for an immediate agreement but does not lessen the importance of his 2026 performance.
Young is coming off his most productive NFL season. He passed for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns while helping Carolina finish 8-9, capture the division and host a playoff game. He then accounted for one passing touchdown and one rushing score in the Panthersâ 34-31 wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Panthers can consequently afford to be patient. They have two seasons of contractual control and another full year to determine whether Youngâs improvement warrants a major quarterback investment.
Thursdayâs decision supports that larger priority. Carolina does not need Young to prove anything in the first exhibition game of August. It needs him healthy when the results begin to count.
Pickett and King, however, have plenty to prove.
The Panthers and Cardinals will open the NFL preseason August 6 in Canton before former Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechlyâs Hall of Fame induction that weekend. It will be the Panthersâ first appearance in the game since their inaugural 1995 season.
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