According to NBC Sports, the Panthers have cut veteran quarterback Kyle Trask, leaving him available as a free agent. The transaction removes Trask from the Panthers’ quarterback group before the team begins its 2026 plans.
Bryce Young is positioned to open the season as the starter, while Kenny Pickett is set to serve as the backup. That arrangement gives the Panthers an established top two at the position following Trask’s departure. Haynes King, an undrafted rookie who performed well during the preseason, is viewed as a likely candidate to go on waivers. If King clears waivers, he would appear likely to return to the Panthers’ practice squad, according to the report.
Trask’s recent path
Trask entered the league as a 2021 second-round pick of the Buccaneers. His time in Tampa included only limited opportunities to play before the Buccaneers released him at the conclusion of the 2025 preseason. Trask then spent a brief period on the Falcons’ practice squad last year.
The latest move leaves him looking for another opportunity, potentially through a team willing to add him to its practice squad again. For the Panthers, the decision clarifies the immediate depth chart while leaving King’s next step dependent on the waiver process. NBC Sports identified Michael David Smith as the writer of the report about the roster move.