It’s just the preseason, but 1 former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and 1st-round pick is about to get a huge preseason opportunity.
“Panthers QB Kenny Pickett will start Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game vs. the Cardinals,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Monday.
While Pickett’s start might be due to an overabundance of caution for Panthers quarterback and former No. overall pick Bryce Young than anything else, it’s still notable.
“Kenny Pickett starting Thursday is good for the depth guys battling for spots,” The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He knows how to do everything from a functionality standpoint. (rookie) Haynes King will get the bulk of the game but he’s still an enigma. With young guys on the line, I think having Pickett there helps with learning curve with protections.”
If you’re looking to see anyone significant for the Panthers on Thursday night, don’t hold your breath.
“No Bryce and no Panthers starters will play Thursday night in Hall of Fame game,” The Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler wrote on his official X account. “Kenny Pickett will start at QB, followed by a lot of Haynes King.”
Pickett, a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 20 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is now on his 5th team in 5 seasons after the Steelers, Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and now Panthers.
Pickett Seemed Poised to Start Again in Cleveland
Pickett seemed poised to be the starter for the Browns in 2025 after serving as the backup for Jalen Hurts on the Eagles on the way to winning a Super Bowl in 2024, when he won his lone start late in the season with Hurts in concussion protocol.
Never happened. After trading for Pickett, the Browns went out and drafted 2 quarterbacks in 2025 — Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel — then signed free-agent quarterback Joe Flacco.
“Considering Flacco’s experience — both as a starter and with the Browns organization — as well as two draft picks waiting in the wings, Pickett definitely feels like the odd man out since Cleveland is unlikely to keep four quarterbacks,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote in May 2025.
Eagles Have Backup QB Battle Brewing
The Eagles don’t have a lot of clarity behind Hurts at quarterback, where Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, another former Panthers starter, seem to be battling for the honor.
The Eagles may have missed the window to get premium value back for McKee in a trade before the 2025 season, when his stock was at its highest.
There’s also the matter of 5th-round pick and rookie quarterback Cole Payton, who could have some Taysom Hill-like upside as a Swiss Army Knife in the Eagles’ new-look offense under 1st-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena sees Hill’s rare blend of size and athleticism reborn in Payton, who could very well find himself utilized in the same way and provide similar cover to Hurts as Hill did with Brees.
“Payton is a southpaw with Taysom Hill comps,” Kubena wrote on July 24. “As the Eagles decide what to do with Tanner McKee while he battles Andy Dalton for QB2, they’ll spend training camp seeing if there’s a future role at all for a terrific athlete like Payton.”
Former Eagles QB Named Starter in NFC South