Cardinals and Panthers open the NFL’s 107th season in Hall of Fame Game

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers will usher in the NFL’s 107th season when they meet in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, giving fans their first taste of football since Super Bowl LX.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET as Hall of Fame Weekend officially gets underway, with the game’s spotlight extending well beyond the action on the field.

Football is back

The Hall of Fame Game has become the traditional launch of every new NFL season, even if the outcome won’t count in the standings.

As always, both clubs are expected to rotate through much of their rosters, giving rookies, young players and veterans fighting for roster spots an opportunity to impress before the regular season begins.

The teams met in Week 2 of the 2025 season, when the Cardinals built a 27-3 lead before holding off a late comeback to defeat the Panthers 27-22 at State Farm Stadium.

Hall of Fame spotlight

This year’s matchup carries added significance because two of the five members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 spent their entire careers with the participating franchises.

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald became one of the greatest players in Cardinals history, while linebacker Luke Kuechly established himself as the face of the Panthers defense during his outstanding career in Carolina.

Joining them in this year’s Hall of Fame class are quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig and kicker Adam Vinatieri. All five inductees will be recognized during pregame ceremonies before taking center stage throughout Hall of Fame Weekend.

New season, new expectations

The Cardinals enter the season under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who inherits a roster featuring one of the league’s premier offensive playmakers in tight end Trey McBride. McBride earned first-team All-Pro honors after catching 126 passes in 2025, setting the NFL’s single-season record for receptions by a tight end. On defense, eight-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker continues to anchor the unit.

The Panthers, meanwhile, arrive with momentum after winning the NFC South last season under head coach Dave Canales. Carolina finished 8-9 before falling 34-31 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Quarterback Bryce Young threw for more than 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2025, including seven scoring passes to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

History returns to Canton

The Hall of Fame Game has long been one of the NFL’s most recognizable traditions, and both franchises have their own place in its history.

This will be the sixth appearance in Canton for the Cardinals, whose franchise played in the very first Hall of Fame Game in 1962 while based in St. Louis, finishing in a 21-21 tie with the New York Giants. The Panthers have not appeared in the game since their inaugural 1995 season, when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-14 in one of the event’s most memorable finishes.

While the final score will soon be forgotten, the Hall of Fame Game once again marks the return of NFL football, celebrating the legends who built the league while giving the next generation its first opportunity to begin writing the story of the 2026 season.