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Football is back as the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meet in the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game. The annual exhibition contest officially opens the NFL preseason Thursday night in Canton, Ohio.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern, or 7 p.m. Central, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. NBC will carry the national broadcast.
2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game Opens Preseason
The Hall of Fame Game marks the first NFL action since the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. It also launches the league’s 107th season in the city where professional football began.
The game gives the Panthers and Cardinals an early opportunity to evaluate rookies, backup quarterbacks and players competing for roster positions. Both teams receive an additional preseason game because they are playing one week before the rest of the league.
Established starters typically receive limited playing time in the Hall of Fame Game. Some may not play as coaches seek to protect key players from injuries.
However, the exhibition remains important for younger players. Strong performances can influence roster decisions before teams reduce their squads to the regular-season limit.
Matchup Honors Fitzgerald and Kuechly
The Panthers-Cardinals matchup carries direct connections to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald will enter the Hall after spending his entire 17-season career with Arizona. Fitzgerald became one of the NFL’s most productive receivers and helped lead the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII.
Carolina will be represented by former linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Panthers selected Kuechly in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He earned seven Pro Bowl selections and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.
“Both of these teams are eager to come to Canton to open their season and to celebrate members of the Class of 2026 who meant so much to their organizations,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said when the matchup was announced by the NFL.
Hall of Fame Class Includes Five Legends
Fitzgerald and Kuechly will be enshrined alongside quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
The enshrinement ceremony begins at noon Eastern on Saturday, Aug. 8. It will take place at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Brees won Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints and retired as one of the league’s leading passers. Vinatieri made several of the most important kicks in NFL playoff history.
Craig helped the San Francisco 49ers win three Super Bowls. He was also the first NFL player to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.
The complete Enshrinement Week schedule is available through the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Texas Teams Begin Preseason Next Week
The Houston Texans open their preseason at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, Aug. 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central on ABC 13.
Houston will also host the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 20 before visiting Carolina on Aug. 28. The Texans’ Spanish-language radio broadcasts are available on Mega 101.
The Dallas Cowboys begin their preseason against the defending champion Seahawks in Seattle on Aug. 15. Dallas will then visit Arizona before hosting New Orleans on Aug. 28.
The regular season begins Sept. 9 with a Super Bowl rematch between Seattle and New England. Until then, the Hall of Fame Game offers fans the first look at the players fighting to earn a place in the 2026 season.