The long wait is over. The first NFL game of the 2026 season arrives this week as the Carolina Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals in Canton, followed by Hall of Fame celebrations and the final countdown to a full slate of preseason football.
Panthers and Cardinals open the preseason
Carolina and Arizona meet in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Kick-off is 8pm Eastern Time on Thursday 6 August, which means a wonderfully unreasonable 1am BST on Friday 7 August for UK fans.
The matchup links two franchises with major figures entering the Hall of Fame. Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald join Drew Brees, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri in the Class of 2026. The enshrinement ceremony takes place in Canton on Saturday 8 August.
This is preseason football, so nobody should expect a tactical masterpiece carved into granite. It is more likely to be a glorious laboratory filled with backup quarterbacks, young players, position battles and coaches testing which buttons make smoke come out.
Kenny Pickett gets Carolina’s first audition
Panthers head coach Dave Canales has said the team’s established starters will not play, with Kenny Pickett starting at quarterback instead of Bryce Young. Carolina has an additional preseason game because of its appearance in Canton, allowing the coaching staff to protect its core players while evaluating the rest of the roster.
Pickett’s performance will still matter. A confident opening appearance would strengthen his position behind Young and help settle Carolina’s quarterback depth chart before the regular preseason schedule begins.
The Panthers also have several genuine roster questions after a rough opening to training camp. Edge rusher Nic Scourton suffered a torn ACL, rookie receiver Chris Brazzell II suffered a season-ending knee injury, and offensive tackles Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu are among the experienced players currently unavailable.
That makes the game particularly important for Carolina’s reserve offensive linemen, young defenders and wide receivers fighting for opportunities.
Carson Beck begins Arizona’s new era
Arizona will begin life under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, with rookie quarterback Carson Beck scheduled to start. Jacoby Brissett enters the season as the Cardinals’ expected QB1, but Beck has an early chance to pressure veteran Gardner Minshew for the backup role.
The rookie will be operating a simplified version of LaFleur’s new offence, but the game should still provide the first clues about Arizona’s direction. How quickly Beck processes the field, handles pressure and avoids costly mistakes will be more important than his final passing-yard total.
Cardinals supporters hoping to see third-overall draft pick Jeremiyah Love will have to wait. LaFleur confirmed that the highly rated running back will not play in Canton. Most of Arizona’s established offensive weapons are also unlikely to receive substantial playing time.
Three battles worth watching
Carolina’s third receiver
Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker sit at the front of the Panthers’ receiving group, but the next place remains available. Xavier Legette and David Moore are among the leading candidates, while Jimmy Horn Jr. and John Metchie III could force themselves into the conversation with a strong night.
Pickett versus Beck
The two starting quarterbacks are at different stages of their careers, but both have something tangible to win. Pickett wants to establish himself as Carolina’s dependable number two. Beck wants to prove he belongs ahead of an experienced veteran on Arizona’s depth chart.
The unfamiliar names
The Hall of Fame Game rarely belongs to the stars. It belongs to the undrafted rookie, the fourth-string cornerback and the receiver whose name sends everyone scrambling towards the roster page. These are the players competing for jobs, practice-squad places and another week inside an NFL building.
Hall of Fame weekend continues
The game is only the opening act in Canton. Fitzgerald and Kuechly will be honoured alongside Brees, Craig and Vinatieri, giving the weekend a proper mixture of nostalgia and new beginnings.
For Panthers fans, Kuechly’s induction celebrates one of the defining players in franchise history. For Arizona, Fitzgerald’s arrival in Canton honours a receiver whose career became inseparable from the Cardinals organisation.
What comes next?
The full opening week of preseason games begins late on Thursday 13 August in the United States, spilling into the early hours of Friday morning in Britain.
The first UK kick-offs include:
- Lions at Bengals, midnight BST
- Packers at Steelers, midnight BST
- Colts at Patriots, 12:30am BST
- Cardinals at Raiders, 1am BST
- Chargers at Texans, 1am BST
- Titans at 49ers, 2am BST
The complete Preseason Week 1 schedule then continues through Friday and Saturday in the United States.
UK viewers can access live and on-demand preseason coverage through NFL Game Pass on DAZN, subject to the platform’s applicable availability and restrictions.
Football is back
The Hall of Fame Game will not determine the Super Bowl winner. It might not even feature many players who will start in September.
It does, however, officially restore football to our screens. There will be pads cracking, quarterbacks panicking and commentators becoming extraordinarily excited about third-down conversions in August.
After months of trades, drafts, rumours and training-camp reports, that is more than enough.
Get involved!
Comments