Cardinals to play Panthers in Hall of Fame Game

The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Carolina Panthers in this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

It will mark the first preseason game of the year and be played Thursday, Aug. 6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium ahead of this year’s enshrinement ceremony two days later.

“Both of these teams are eager to come to Canton to open their season and to celebrate members of the class of 2026 who meant so much to their organizations,” president & CEO of the Hall of Fame Jim Porter said in a press release.

Arizona was an obvious choice for the game this year being that Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald is set to be inducted in the Hall of Fame in just his first year of eligibility. Same with the Panthers and Carolina great Luke Kuechly’s induction. Both Hall of Famers spent the entirety of their NFL careers with their respective teams.

For the Arizona, this year’s game will mark the sixth HOF game appearance for the franchise. While still in St. Louis, the Cardinals played in the first Hall of Fame Game against the New York Giants in 1962. That game ended in a 21-21 tie.

Most recently, Arizona last played in the game in 2017. The Dallas Cowboys won that game 20-18.

The Panthers have played in just one Hall of Fame Game in their existence, a 20-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.

The Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony takes place Saturday, Aug. 8.

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