2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game preview: What to watch as Panthe...

2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game Preview: What to Watch as Panthers Face Cardinals

Preseason football arrives Thursday night as the Carolina Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The night doubles as a tribute to Luke Kuechly and Larry Fitzgerald, the two former stars headlining the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales has named Kenny Pickett the starting quarterback, with undrafted rookie Haynes King expected to see extended run behind him.

Bryce Young will not play. Carolina enters banged up on defense, having lost linebacker Nic Scourton for the season to a torn ACL and receiver Chris Brazzell to a torn LCL, while tight end Mitchell Evans is dealing with an ankle injury that isn’t considered serious.

Arizona has a new voice at the top in head coach Mike LaFleur, who left the Rams’ staff to take over a Cardinals team looking to rebound from a 3-14 season. Backup quarterbacks Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis are expected to see the bulk of the snaps behind starter Jacoby Brissett, while No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love has already been ruled out.

Oddsmakers list Carolina as a 1.5-point favorite, with the total set at 36.5. As always with the preseason opener, star power will be limited but for a Panthers team coming off its first NFC South title since Kuechly’s 2015 squad, it’s an early look at the young talent set to shape the season ahead.