Carolina Panthers to Play in Hall of Fame Game Ahead of Luke Kuechly's Enshrinement

The Carolina Panthers will start their preseason early this year. According to a report, they will be playing the annual Hall of Fame game just two days ahead of Luke Kuechly's enshrinement.

The NFL doesn't have explicit criteria for the Hall of Fame game, but unofficially, the team is usually someone with a new inductee, proximity to Canton, or sometimes, a new head coach.

Panthers announce they're playing the Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game in August, two days before Luke Kuechly gets enshrined. Giddyup.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 4, 2026

The Panthers check the most important box with Kuechly's induction. He was voted in earlier this year and will be officially put into the Hall in August. The Arizona Cardinals check the box, too, as Larry Fitzgerald was a first-ballot Hall of Famer alongside Kuechly.

Kuechly missed out last year, leading to his induction this year and the chance for the Panthers to play in a preseason game they haven't since 1995.

The Hall of Fame game is the first game of the NFL preseason schedule, so the Panthers and Cardinals will be the first official NFL action after a long offseason.

The Panthers have historically owned the Cardinals, dominating them to the tune of a 15-6 record. However, the Cardinals won the most recent entry, surviving a furious comeback last season in Week 2. The Panthers fell down 27-3 but stormed back and made it 27-22.

Their final drive, after recovering the onside kick, fell short, so they'll be out for revenge. However, it's preseason, so wins and losses don't really matter.

Why the Hall of Fame game is must-watch for Panthers fans

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik walks out to training camp | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Year three of the Dave Canales and Bryce Young pairing will get its start in Canton, Ohio at the Hall of Fame game. It's the one game the entire NFL world will watch because no other games will be taking place.

It's important for Panthers fans for a number of reasons. They are presumably going to bring in a few new starters in free agency and the draft, and it will be the first chance to see any of them in real game action.

Additionally, those who are on the roster now will hopefully get better going into 2026, so this will be the first glimpse of whether or not that happened. This is especially important for Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, and Nic Scourton.

Furthermore, Dave Canales is not calling plays. Brad Idzik is taking over. He called plays in the preseason last year but hasn't in real games. This isn't a real game, but it will be his first foray into the gig with the regular season to call plays waiting for him after.