Panthers, Cardinals to kick off 2026 NFL preseason with Hall of Fame Game

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will kick off the 2026 NFL preseason this summer with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, the league announced Wednesday.

Traditionally, the league has tried to include teams in the game tied to former players headed to the Hall that season. The Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers’ Luke Kuechly are among five new members who will be enshrined Aug. 8, two days after the game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Drew Brees, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig are the other enshrinees.

The Panthers haven’t played in Canton since 1995, when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the inaugural game played by the two expansion franchises. Now 21 years later, Carolina is coming off a season in which it ended a seven-year playoff drought by winning the NFC South with an 8-9 record.

While there remains a bit of a buzz around the Panthers and quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in 2023, Young and many of the starters for both teams likely will sit out the preseason opener. Last year’s matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions featured a battle of backup QBs Trey Lance and Kyle Allen, who combined to start one game during the regular season.

The Hall of Fame Game appearance comes at an interesting time for the Cardinals. The event will feature Fitzgerald, one of the league’s more respected players during his prime, but it will also showcase an organization in transition. The Cardinals are coming off one of their worst seasons in franchise history. They have a new head coach in Mike LaFleur. And with Kyler Murray on his way out, they likely will have a new quarterback. (Jacoby Brissett, who last season replaced the injured Murray, remains an option.)

Kicking it off in Canton pic.twitter.com/CNQCBfYzWp

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 4, 2026

But this could be good. The Cardinals don’t often get the NFL spotlight, which comes at a time when fans will be starved for football. They will get their first look at LaFleur, who has promised a clean and efficient brand of football. First impressions matter. The Cardinals need to take advantage.