Football Returns This Week: Panthers-Cardinals in Canton, Then Five Busts Unveiled
The Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL preseason Thursday night, two days before Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig are enshrined.
The longest stretch of the football calendar ends Thursday. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals meet in the Hall of Fame Game on August 6 at 8 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio — the traditional curtain-raiser on the NFL preseason, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock, per Yahoo Sports.
Why these two teams
The matchup is no accident. The Class of 2026 being enshrined this weekend includes Luke Kuechly, the great Panthers linebacker, and Larry Fitzgerald, who spent all 17 of his seasons as a Cardinal — and Canton pairs the game's participants with the class going in. They will be joined on stage by Drew Brees, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig, a five-man class announced at NFL Honors and enshrined Saturday, August 8 at the same stadium, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
What to actually expect on the field
Manage expectations: the game does not count toward either team's preseason record, starters typically play little if at all, and the snaps go to rookies and roster hopefuls. Yahoo Sports notes it will be an early look at the Cardinals under new head coach Mike LaFleur, in his first season in charge, and both clubs get four preseason games instead of the usual three as a trade-off for the extra date.
Why it matters
Even a glorified scrimmage carries real weight on this weekend. Brees retired as the NFL's career leader in passing yards at the time, Fitzgerald caught more passes than anyone in history not named Jerry Rice, Vinatieri kicked more points than any player ever, and Kuechly packed seven Pro Bowls into just eight seasons. Craig, the 1980s 49ers star, was the first player with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Thursday is the appetizer; Saturday in Canton is the main event — and after that, the 2026 season arrives quickly.