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NFL Hall of Fame Game Live Updates: Carson Beck Debuts As Cardinals, Panthers Kick Off Preseason
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Do you smell that? It’s football. And it’s back.
Starting tonight and leading all the way through Super Bowl LXI, we’ll officially have America’s favorite game on our television sets week in and week out—and it all starts with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Every year, in the lead-up to its enshrinement ceremony, the Hall hosts a preseason bout at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio to kick off the NFL’s exhibition schedule.
The 2026 edition of the Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cardinals on one sideline and the Panthers on the other—likely due to the fact that two of their franchise legends, former Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and former Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly, are set to be enshrined in football immortality on Saturday night. And while it is only the preseason, there’s still plenty to be excited about in this one.
With that, we’ll be tracking Thursday night’s game in its entirety here at Sports Illustrated, taking you through all of the biggest stories, highlights, analysis and more as the 2026 NFL season informally gets underway.
Cardinals vs. Panthers: Live updates from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
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Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.