Kyle Trask joins Panthers and reshapes the backup quarterback race

Football Nation
22 hours ago
2 min read

The Carolina Panthers added quarterback Kyle Trask to their roster Sunday to bolster training-camp depth after rookie Haynes King suffered a hamstring injury in the Hall of Fame Game. The move gives Carolina another experienced arm behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett as the preseason schedule ramps up.

What is confirmed

• The Panthers announced they signed Trask on Sunday (Aug. 9).

• The team also waived injured wide receiver Malick Meiga and outside linebacker Nick Hampton in the same transaction window.

• Trask entered the league as a 2021 second-round pick (No. 64 overall) and has appeared in seven regular-season games, completing 4 of 11 passes for 28 yards.

Kyle Trask Photo by Chris Gillespie — CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Why Carolina made the move

King’s injury came on the final play of Carolina’s Hall of Fame Game win over the Arizona Cardinals, when he dove for the goal line on a game-winning scramble. Head coach Dave Canales said King is week-to-week and will miss the next preseason game, prompting the Panthers to add another quarterback for practices and preseason reps.

How Trask fits behind Bryce Young

Trask’s signing doesn’t change the top of the depth chart: Young remains the starter. The practical impact is on the weekly workload. With King sidelined, Carolina needed enough healthy quarterbacks to run full-team periods, install game plans and get through preseason games without overloading Young or Pickett.

Trask also brings familiarity with Canales from their time in Tampa Bay, which can help him get up to speed quickly on terminology and practice structure.

Football Nation analysis

This looks like a depth and stability move more than a surprise challenge for the starting job. Pickett is still the most established option behind Young, while King’s developmental track depends on how quickly his hamstring responds. Trask’s path to sticking is straightforward: learn the system fast, protect the football in preseason snaps, and show he can run the offense cleanly enough to be trusted as an emergency option.

Two internal reads

If you’re tracking backup QB movement around the league, see our breakdown of Josh Dobbs to the Lions, and how roster math changes after the 2026 roster cutdown deadline.