We are now just two months away from the beginning of the NFL’s preseason, which means we are now just two months away from Carolina Panthers football. Thanks, in part, to the upcoming enshrinement of franchise great Luke Kuechly, the defending NFC South champions will kick off summer play—along with the Arizona Cardinals—in the annual Hall of Fame game from Canton, Ohio.
That’ll be one of just five nationally-televised preseason games in 2026, as announced on Wednesday . . .
While the Hall of Fame game is the most preseason-y preseason game of the year, there will still be a few good reasons to tune in—including the potential debut of first-round pick and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. On Arizona’s side, the main attraction could be the 2026 NFL Draft’s third overall pick, former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
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Just don’t expect to see Bryce Young or Jacoby Brissett starting at quarterback. We also may not even see much of backups Kenny Pickett and Gardner Minshew, either. So expect a healthy dose of Will Grier and undrafted rookie Haynes King for the Panthers and third-rounder Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis for the Cardinals under center.
Here’s the complete preseason schedule for the Panthers . . .
Panthers 2026 preseason schedule
Hall of Fame Game: vs. Arizona Cardinals (Thursday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET)
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers’ preseason opener among only 5 prime-time exhibitions in 2026