Panthers face Cardinals in Hall of Fame Game

The NFL’s preseason begins Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, with Carolina and Arizona using the Hall of Fame Game for what it usually is: a live roster sort. The matchup is the league’s first game since the Super Bowl and kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Carolina is set to start Kenny Pickett, while Arizona is expected to open with rookie quarterback Carson Beck. Arizona coach Mike LaFleur also said rookie running back Jeremiyah Love will not play. ### Why are Kenny Pickett and Carson Beck the main names to watch? Kenny Pickett is set to start for Carolina as the Panthers use the opener to evaluate their quarterback depth chart. NFL.com framed Pickett’s outing as part of Carolina’s effort to see whether he can lock down the No. 2 role, making his snaps more relevant than the final score. (profootballhof.com) Carson Beck is expected to start for Arizona under first-year coach Mike LaFleur. CBS Sports and USA Today both pointed to Beck as the Cardinals’ headline preseason storyline, with the Hall of Fame Game giving Arizona an early look at the rookie in live action before the rest of the league begins full preseason play. ### Why is Jeremiyah Love sitting out? (nfl.com) Jeremiyah Love will not play Thursday, LaFleur said before the game. Yahoo Sports reported the decision Wednesday, and Arizona-focused outlets described it as a planned absence rather than a game-day surprise. Mike LaFleur’s decision means Arizona fans will have to wait longer to see one of the team’s most-watched rookies in a game setting. (cbssports.com) Love’s absence shifts more attention onto Beck and the rest of Arizona’s offensive depth, especially in a preseason opener where starters typically play limited snaps. ### Why does this game matter more for Arizona than a normal preseason opener? (sports.yahoo.com) Arizona gets a fourth preseason game because of the Hall of Fame assignment, rather than the standard three. Yahoo Sports noted that scheduling wrinkle gives the Cardinals one extra live evaluation spot for players competing for roster jobs. (sports.yahoo.com) The Cardinals are also coming off a 4-13 season, while Carolina finished 8-9 in 2025, according to CBS Sports. Those records do not change what Thursday counts for in the standings — nothing — but they help explain why both teams enter August with unsettled spots worth testing. ### What does the Hall of Fame Game usually tell us? (sports.yahoo.com) The Hall of Fame Game rarely settles big regular-season questions, but it does show which players coaches want to see under game conditions. USA Today’s Touchdown Wire said neither announced starter is expected to open the regular season as his team’s No. 1 quarterback, which puts the focus on execution, command and depth rather than star power. (cbssports.com) Thursday’s setup follows that pattern. Carolina gets an extended look at Pickett in its first preseason action, and Arizona gets an early read on Beck in LaFleur’s new setup. The game also opens the NFL’s 107th season, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ### Where can fans watch, and what comes next? NBC and Peacock will carry the game nationally, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. (touchdownwire.usatoday.com) ET on August 6. ESPN’s schedule page lists the game in Canton, and NBC Sports said it marks Arizona’s sixth Hall of Fame Game appearance and Carolina’s second. The next step after Thursday is straightforward: both teams move into the rest of the preseason with one extra data point on the roster. (profootballhof.com) For Arizona, that includes a fourth exhibition game created by the Hall of Fame assignment; for Carolina, it starts with however many snaps Pickett gets in the league’s first game of August. (sports.yahoo.com) (nbcsports.com)