Cardinals Selected to Play Panthers in NFL Hall of Fame Game

Larry Fitzgerald's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earns the Arizona Cardinals the right to play the league's first preseason game.

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Detail view of an Arizona Cardinals helmet for tight end Trey McBride (85) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The expected is actually happening for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026.

Following Larry Fitzgerald's selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Cardinals are set to take part in the NFL's Hall of Fame Game, which annually kicks off preseason activities for the league. This will be the same weekend Fitzgerald and the rest of the 2026 class are officially inducted.

The Cardinals will face the Carolina Panthers.

More from the team:

"The Pro Football Hall of Fame today announced that the Arizona Cardinals will play the Carolina Panthers to kick off the 2026 preseason on Thursday, August 6 in the Hall of Fame Game from Canton, OH. The game will air on NBC and kickoff time from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is at 5:00 PM (Arizona Time).

"The Cardinals played the New York Giants to a 21-21 tie in the first-ever Hall of Fame Game in 1962. It will be the franchise’s sixth HOF game appearance overall and first since 2017 when they played the Dallas Cowboys. It will be just the second Hall of Fame Game for the Panthers whose only other appearance was against the Jaguars in 1995, the inaugural season for both teams.

"Both Arizona and Carolina have a representative in the HOF’s 2026 Class who spent his entire career with that franchise: wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald for the Cardinals and linebacker Luke Kuechly of the Panthers. The other members of the class are quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig and kicker Adam Vinatieri. The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted on Saturday, August 8 at the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony.

"Selected by Arizona with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent each one of his 17 NFL seasons (2004-20) with the Cardinals. He ranks second in NFL history behind only Jerry Rice in both career receptions (1,432) and career receiving yards (17,492) and also added 121 touchdowns."

The extra preseason game could be key for the Cardinals under the watch of first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who will need every opportunity possible to evaluate his team ahead of 2026. This will give Arizona four preseason games as opposed to the standard three typical exhibition matches.

However, the overall weekend will be a celebratory standing ovation for Fitzgerald and what he meant for not only the Cardinals, but also the league as a whole.