It's kickoff time for the NFL on Thursday, when the preseason gets rolling with the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meeting in the 2026 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Most of the teams' starters will likely be watching the opener from the sideline, but it's still a big week at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Kickoff for Cardinals vs. Panthers is set for 8 p.m. ET.
The Cardinals are playing in the game for the sixth time and will see longtime receiver Larry Fitzgerald inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Carolina is in the traditional game -- which dates back to 1962 -- for a second time, the first since its inaugural season in 1995. Panthers icon and former linebacker Luke Kuechly will be among those receiving a gold jacket this weekend, along with Drew Brees, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri.
The Panthers are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Panthers vs. Cardinals odds at DraftKings, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 35.5. Carson Beck to throw a touchdown pass on his first offensive drive for the Cardinals is priced at +750.
Kenny Pickett is expected to start at quarterback for Carolina in place of regular starter Bryce Young. New Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur will make his debut, but quarterback Jacoby Brissett is still getting up to speed after a protracted contract holdout, so rookie Carson Beck, a third-round pick out of Miami, will start. Arizona's No. 3 overall pick, running back Jeremiyah Love, indicated this week that he was determined to play, but LaFleur dashed those hopes Wednesday and said the rookie will remain on the sideline.
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2026 Hall of Fame Game betting preview (odds via DraftKings)
- Cardinals ML (-105)
- Under 35.5 (-110)
There might not be a ton of familiar faces on the field for most of the game Thursday, but it should be interesting in the early going. Cardinals fans could get a glimpse of their future with Beck, the team's third-round pick out of Miami, starting as Brissett and backup Gardner Minshew are not expected to play. Beck led The U to the national title game last season, where they lost to Indiana. Now he will team up with Love, the Doak Walker Award winner who missed out on the College Football Playoff after the Hurricanes were selected ahead of Notre Dame. Love wanted to play and honor Fitzgerald, who had high praise for the pick in April, but LaFleur nixed that.
Beck threw for 3,813 yards and a career-high 30 touchdowns last season, while Love rushed 1,372 yards and 18 TDs for the Irish. The rookie running back will be competing with with Tyler Allgeier this season. With those two expected be out, the Cardinals will take a look at what they have in a deep running back room. James Conner, Trey Benson, Bam Knight, Evan Hill and Corey Kiner are all on the roster, though Conner has been nursing an injury in camp.
The Cardinals went 3-14 in 2025, leading to the firing of Jonathan Gannon, so LaFleur will be making his debut as head coach. Injuries and a bad defense were the biggest factors in the team's struggles last season, but with former starting quarterback Kyler Murray now in Minnesota, that position is still a question mark. The veteran Brissett is expected to take the reins, but Beck is looking to at least push Minshew for the backup spot.
Panthers coach Dave Canales has said Pickett will start at quarterback in place of Young, and undrafted rookie Haynes King is expected to relieve Pickett. Carolina fans might not see stars like Young or receiver Tetairoa McMillan, but there are plenty of questions the team has to answer. The Panthers won the NFC South last season but went 8-9, so there is a lot of room to improve. The offense was 27th in scoring, but the defense improved from the league's worst in 2024 to 15th in points allowed.
Running back Jonathan Brooks, a 2024 second-round selection who has been hampered by serious knee injuries, has been healthy in camp and could be among the players who see a fair amount of work for Carolina in the opener. Rookies like defensive tackle Lee Hunter out of Texas Tech and defensive backs Will Lee III and Zakee Wheatley also will be looking to make impressions the coaching staff.
Canales typically uses the preseason for evaluation, which is one reason Carolina is 1-5 in the preseason over the past two seasons. The Cardinals went 2-1 in the preseason last year, and LaFleur is going to want to come out of his first live game as a head coach with a victory. Wagering on preseason matchups is fun but can also be frustrating with the uncertainty about who will play and how much time they'll see.
Only one of the Cardinals' six preseason games over the past two seasons has seen more than 37 total points scored, and four of Carolina's six over the same span have failed to even reach 30 total points. I expect the Cardinals to go for the victory in a sloppy, low-scoring game.
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