Where to watch Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game is fast approaching, and will raise the curtain on what’s sure to be a dramatic 2026 season.

On August 6, the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers collide in Canton, Ohio, to kick off the preseason.

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The match-up is fitting, considering Cardinals icon Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers legend Luke Kuechly are among the names set to be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Super Bowl champions Drew Brees, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri complete a stacked 2026 class, but legendary coach Bill Belichick missed out.

“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,” Jim Porter, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame, said in a statement announcing the game.

The Cardinals have been designated as the home team, while the Panthers will appear in the curtain-raiser for the first time since their inception in 1995, when they played the Jacksonville Jaguars — a fellow expansion team making their on-field debut.

What time will the NFL Hall of Fame Game kick off and how can I watch?

The 2026 Hall of Fame Game between Arizona and Carolina is scheduled to kick off a 8pm on Thursday, August 6.

Tickets for the match-up are available to buy on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s official website, and currently range from $92 to $336.

For fans who can’t make it to Canton, the game will also air live on NBC, and stream on Peacock.

The NFL preseason proper begins one week later, on August 13, and continues through August 29.

What is the team news ahead of the 2026 Hall of Fame Game?

Both the Cardinals and Panthers returned to training camp on July 22.

Arizona went 3-14 in a dismal 2025 season, and will feature a completely new look this year under rookie head coach Mike LaFleur.

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Former franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, who played under a $230.5 million contract extension signed in 2022, has moved on after an injury-hit campaign that saw him start just five games.

Jacoby Brissett finished 2025 as the team’s starter, and is expected to reprise that role this season.

Despite a potential contract standoff, he reported to Arizona’s training camp on Day 1, having sat out voluntary activities throughout the offseason.

While much has been made of the quarterback position, the Cardinals are led by superstar tight end Trey McBride, whose 126 receptions in 2025 set an NFL single-season record for the position.

New HC LaFleur will lean heavily on him, as well as safety Budda Baker, who marked his eighth Pro Bowl campaign last season.

A handful of Arizona’s 2026 draft picks could also feature in the Hall of Fame Game.

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Running back Jeremiyah Love has arrived as the No. 3 overall pick, while second-rounder Chase Bisontis has a chance to establish himself as the team’s next right guard or right tackle.

Quarterback Carson Beck was drafted at No. 65, and could get a run out in Canton if the Cardinals want to see what kind of signal caller they’ve signed.

DT Kaleb Proctor, WR Reggie Virgil, LB Karson Sharar and OT Jayden Williams complete Arizona’s draft class.

For the Panthers, last season saw a 8-9 finish, which was good enough to top the NFC South and make the playoffs.

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The team is led by 24-year-old quarterback Bryce Young, who helped foster wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan’s 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

On defense, though, the Panthers have injury issues.

Second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton will have an MRI after going down in practice with an apparent right knee injury. He was consoled by teammates as he was carted off the field.

Pro Bowl defensive end Derrick Brown has long been the unquestioned leader of the front seven, but defensive tackle Bobby Brown III will start 2026 on the NFI (non-football injury) list with a hamstring issue.

Fellow DT Tershawn Wharton has landed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list alongside left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.

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As of late July, cornerback Jaycee Horn is on the NFI list, and right tackle Taylor Moton is on the non-football illness list.

While the Panthers are dealing with injuries, they have taken steps to fix some issues from 2025 in the draft.

The team selected OT Monroe Freeling in the first-round (No. 19 overall) with the hope he can get on the field a lot as a rookie.

Second-round pick Lee Hunter, a second-team All-American, has the chance to push for the starting nose tackle job right away, especially in Brown’s injury absence.

WR Chris Brazzell II, CB Will Lee III, C Sam Hecht, S Zakee Wheatley and LB Jackson Kuwatch were all drafted by the Panthers in rounds three to seven.

What else happens on Hall of Fame weekend?

While the Hall of Fame Game signals the return of the NFL season, it won’t be the main event in Canton that weekend.

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Brees, Craig, Fitzgerald, Kuechly and Vinatieri will all receive their iconic Gold Jackets on the Friday evening.

The 2026 class will then be officially enshrined on Saturday, August 8, inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, where the Cardinals and Panthers open the season.

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