Long live the King, says Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan.
On Sunday, rookie Haynes King was one of three quarterbacks—alongside starter Bryce Young and backup Kenny Pickett—featured on the Panthers' initial 53-man roster. His inclusion marked the first time that Morgan and his front office kept three passers through the summer.
Morgan explained that decision on Tuesday.
"You look at his athleticism and then seeing him out there on the field," he told reporters. "You watch his college tape and you think he's just a runner. He's not just a runner. He can sit in the pocket, he can process, he can get the ball out quick, he knows where to go with the ball.
"And I think you saw him in the Hall of Fame Game—the way that he operated the offense,
led the offense. We felt like he was a guy we didn't want to expose to waivers. We didn't wanna let somebody have the opportunity to get him. He's our type of guy. The type of guy that we wanna work with and continue to develop."
That Hall of Fame Game saw King complete 21 of his 34 throws for 180 yards and two touchdowns in Carolina's 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He also scored the game-winning 5-yard touchdown run as time expired.
His walk-off rush, however, came at a price—as King injured his hamstring on the dive into the end zone. He was unable to suit up for the remaining three preseason outings.
In a positive sign, King was seen participating in practice this morning.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers GM Dan Morgan talks about keeping fan-favorite QB on initial roster
