
Carson Beck starts for Arizona, Kenny Pickett for Carolina as most starters sit out. The Panthers are 1.5-point favorites. The other 30 teams begin preseason next week. Game airs 8 p.m. EDT on NBC.
The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers open the NFL preseason Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Kickoff is 8 p.m. EDT on NBC. The game also streams on Peacock and NFL+.
Most starters will sit out. Panthers coach Dave Canales told reporters Tuesday his starters would not play. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said most of his starters will also rest, including quarterback Jacoby Brissett and running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
The Cardinals will start former Miami quarterback Carson Beck, a third-round pick. Kedon Slovis and Gardner Minshew are also on the roster. Running backs Tyler Allgeier and James Conner are set to sit out. Marvin Harrison Jr. is among the starters expected to rest.
The Panthers will start Kenny Pickett. Bryce Young, Chuba Hubbard and Tetairoa McMillan are among the players sitting out.
The Panthers went 8-9 in 2025 and won the NFC South. The Cardinals went 3-14, fired coach Jonathan Gannon in January and hired LaFleur.
The other 30 teams start their preseason next week.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.