The Carolina Panthers will get their preseason under way with Kenny Pickett starting at quarterback against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio. It is an early chance for Dave Canales to look at his roster in game conditions, even with several camp setbacks already shaping the picture.
The matchup matters for more than just the opener. The Hall of Fame Game is tied to the upcoming enshrinement of Luke Kuechly and Larry Fitzgerald as part of the Class of 2026, which gives the night extra meaning for both franchises.
Panthers already facing an altered camp picture
Carolina have had to manage their first two weeks of camp without Nic Scourton, who suffered a torn ACL, and Chris Brazzell II, who injured his LCL. Those absences do not make the preseason opener meaningless, but they do change the way the Panthers will evaluate the roster.
For Pickett, the start offers a useful first look in front of a live opponent. The key issue is not simply who takes the snaps, but how much rhythm Carolina can find with pieces still missing and roles still being settled.
That is often what makes the Hall of Fame Game valuable. The result matters less than the answers it gives, and the Panthers need answers early with a number of moving parts already in play.
Arizona begin a new chapter under Mike LaFleur
The Cardinals arrive in Canton with a coaching change of their own, as Mike LaFleur has been hired to replace Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. Thursday night will therefore be the first real look at how that new era begins in a game setting.
Arizona last appeared in the Hall of Fame Game in 2017, while Carolina’s own history in the fixture goes back to 1995, when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-14 in their debut. The first-ever Hall of Fame Game was played in 1962, when the then St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants finished 21-21.
For both teams, this is a familiar preseason stage with a different level of context around it. The Panthers are trying to work through camp injuries, while the Cardinals are adapting to a new coach. That makes Thursday night more than just an exhibition opener, even if the long-term questions will not be answered until much later in the preseason.
Carolina will still hope to use the night to settle some early decisions, and Pickett’s start gives them a clear place to begin. The bigger picture, though, is that the Panthers enter the Hall of Fame Game with a chance to assess depth, health and structure before the schedule begins to tighten.
The next few weeks will tell whether that early work gives Carolina a platform or simply highlights how much still needs to be sorted out.
