Football is back on Thursday night, and the first stop on the 2026 NFL calendar comes with a little extra spotlight. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meet in the Hall of Fame Game, the annual preseason opener played in “Football Heaven” beside the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It’s a useful first look for two teams in very different places. Carolina is coming off an 8-9 season that still ended in a playoff berth, making it the fifth team in NFL history to win its division with a losing record.
The Panthers also had the third-worst point differential (-69) by a division winner since 1970. Even so, there’s real momentum to work with after rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan won Offensive Rookie of the Year and the team added defensive help this offseason in pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd.
The biggest concern for Dave Canales is simply getting out of Thursday healthy. Carolina’s camp has already taken hits, starting with pass rusher Nic Scourton going down with a torn ACL on the first day of workouts. Rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II then tore his LCL and will miss the entire 2026 season.
Arizona, meanwhile, is starting over. Jonathan Gannon was let go after a 3-14 season, and former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is in charge now.
The Cardinals also moved on from Kyler Murray after seven seasons. They became the first franchise in NFL history to finish at least 9 games behind every team in their division, and while tight end Trey McBride and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love give them some building blocks, there’s plenty to sort through.
Thursday night gives the new staff a chance to evaluate young talent in game action.
Here’s a look at a few players worth tracking in the opener.
Carson Beck gets the start at quarterback for Arizona. The Miami passer was the third quarterback taken in this year’s draft, and his college numbers jump off the page: 72.4% completions, 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in one season with the Hurricanes.
He also guided Miami to the College Football Playoff National Championship. CBS Sports compared him to Jared Goff as a prospect because of his pocket-passing profile, though his issues showed up when pressure forced him off schedule.
A sharp debut could get the conversation around Arizona’s quarterback room moving again.
Jeremiyah Love is the headline rookie on the Cardinals’ side. Arizona made him the first running back drafted in the top five since Saquon Barkley in 2018, ending the longest stretch ever without a running back going that high.
His rookie deal comes with $50.5 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL right away. The production matched the draft status: 35 rushing touchdowns and 40 total touchdowns over the past two years, plus 114.3 rushing yards per game in his final season at Notre Dame.
He’ll make his first NFL appearance on Thursday, and the Cardinals are hoping the hype travels with him. The cautionary note is right there from last year, when No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty finished 18th in rushing with 975 yards and had a rough first preseason outing, rushing three times for -1 yard.
Haynes King is another rookie worth watching. The former Georgia Tech quarterback may or may not end up as an NFL quarterback, but he’s absolutely the kind of player who makes preseason football fun.
He rushed for 37 touchdowns in college, topped a score per game over his last two seasons with Georgia Tech, and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine. He plays with grit and is not afraid to take chances, which should show up early and often.
For Carolina, Jimmy Horn Jr. could have an opening. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound receiver was a sixth-round pick last year and caught 11 of 15 targets for 108 yards in 13 games.
With Chris Brazzell II out for the year and Xavier Legette dealing with an injury, Horn has a real shot to fight for more touches. He brings speed, clean route-running and plenty of competitiveness, and he’s a tougher matchup than his size suggests when he’s left alone.
In Other News...
Panthers Run-First Plan Faces A Backfield Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Carolinas offense is built around the ground game, so the state of the backfield matters more here than it might for a team leaning on the pass. Chuba Hubbard is the current lead back, while Jonathon Brooks sits behind him as a recovering option with real upside if he can get and stay right. For a Panthers team that wants to control games with the run, that setup leaves little margin for error.
The concern is that the depth chart does not yet feel like a settled answer, even though the scheme keeps pointing in that direction. Hubbard has been viewed as a limited presence among NFL backs, and Brooks still comes with major uncertainty after his injuries. If Carolina is going to make its run-first identity work, it needs more than a placeholder at the top and a hopeful bet waiting in reserve. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Youngs Situation Just Changed In A Way Panthers Fans Will Feel
The Panthers have already made one notable adjustment on offense, shifting play-calling duties from Dave Canales to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, and Bryce Young has pointed to the continuity in the scheme as part of the transition. For a young quarterback still trying to settle into a stable rhythm, that kind of behind-the-scenes consistency can matter as much as any roster move, especially when the team is trying to keep the offense moving in the same direction.
Around the division, the quarterback picture is changing in ways Carolina will be watching closely. Falcons passer Michael Penix Jr. is expected to be cleared for 11-on-11 work by the end of August, while New Orleans has its own competition unfolding with Spencer Rattler focused on a backup role and a strong relationship with Tyler Shough and Zach Wilson. For the Panthers, the bigger question is whether this new setup helps Young turn continuity into production once the real games start. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kuechlys Hall Of Fame Moment Says Everything About Panthers Fans
Luke Kuechlys long-awaited place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame says as much about the man as it does the player, and it has brought back the kind of respect he commanded throughout his Panthers career. Former teammates and coaches have been quick to praise his character, work ethic and the way he influenced people around him, which is no surprise for anyone who watched how he carried himself in Carolina.
Greg Olsens recollection from training camp offered a fitting reminder of that mindset, with Kuechly already worrying about whether the Hall of Fame news would interrupt team routines. It is a small detail, but one that fits perfectly with the image Panthers fans have held onto for years: a star who never seemed to put himself ahead of the group, even when the biggest individual honor in the sport was coming his way. [Read more 🡒]