After months of waiting, football is finally back. Thursday night, August 6, the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will face off in the first game of the NFL preseason. The Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL season, as we’ll see stars, old and new, square off. Here’s five storylines to look for entering the NFL season:

Jeremiyah Love’s Debut

The Cardinals took Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love with the 3rd overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Love lit up D1 defenses for three years, amassing 2,882 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Heisman trophy, and earned All-American honors. The Cardinals need some offense bad, and fans were thrilled with this pick.

Love sits at second on the Cardinal’s initial depth chart, behind former Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier. This suprised some fans, but it’s likely that Love will still be a day 1 starter. While both will see the field on Thursday, Love will get the majority of the shares as the Cardinals evaluate their rookie. You can see the full depth chart below:

A sign we are getting closer to football games!

Cardinals dropped their first depth chart of the preseason ahead of the Hall of Fame game vs. the Panthers ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HgRD649COm

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 2, 2026

Cardinals Starting QB Issues

Another starting job that’s up in the air is quarterback. In the same depth chart released a couple days ago, Jacoby Brissett is the starter for Arizona. Behind him is Gardner Minshew, and rookie quarterback Carson Beck. Brissett has been the center of controversy over the offseason, not showing up to some practices as the Cardinals worked on his contract.

It’s likely all three quarterbacks will take the field, and it’ll be our first look at Beck. Minshew has a history of heading rebuilds and tank jobs, so it’s not likely he’ll be a starter. Barring injuries, it looks like Brissett has the starting role locked in. But depending on how Beck performs in the preseason, he may get a starting nod later in the season.

Jonathan Brooks Is Back

Last year, the Panthers run game was elite. Rico Dowdle put up 1,076 yards and 7 touchdowns, backed by Chuba Hubbard with 511 yards and 4 touchdowns. Dowdle left for the Cowboys, leaving Chuba and un-tested backup Jonathan Brooks. Brooks only played 3 games in the 2024-25 season before tearing his ACL. He tore it again at the start of the 2025-26 season.

However, Brooks is back and ready for the 2026-27 season. He told reporters, “I feel like I’m back to 100% getting out there and having fun with it.” Brooks can give Chuba rest, while being a valuable asset to their passing offense. Bryce can have Brooks as a shorter option if receivers like McMillan, Coker, and Legette are covered.

The Panthers Redemption Arc Continues

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers finished 8-9 last season, making the playoffs and nearly shocking the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round. Despite showing some signs of life, the Panthers still have to prove that they can win with Bryce and McMillan. The Panthers haven’t had a winning record since 2017, and fans really point to 2015 as the last time the team was really good.

This season will show if last season was a fluke or not. The Panthers are facing a must-win-situation in the NFC South. They have to have a winning record, Bryce Young needs a good season, and they need another playoff berth. Otherwise, fans and higher-ups might get restless, and move on from the core Carolina has. The HOF game starts this desperate campaign.

Historically, the Hall of Fame game winner won’t make the playoffs

Over the last five years, every other winner has made the playoffs. Since the winner made the playoffs last year, that means this year’s winner won’t make it.

The records of the last five HOF winners:

2025 – LA Chargers (11-6)
2024 – Chicago Bears (5-12)
2023 – Cleveland Browns (11-6)
2022 – Las Vegas Raiders (6-11)
2021 – Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1)

3 of 5 teams made the playoffs.

— Casual NFL Fan (@Casual_NFL_Fan) August 1, 2026

What does this mean for the winner? Literally nothing unless you’re superstitious. But the Hall of Fame game does have an impact on how the rest of the season goes, just like any other preseason game. Bad teams will play poorly and lose motivation for the rest of the season. Good teams are motivated no matter how they perform. No matter what, it’s a great chance for players to hone their skills before the season starts.

My Prediction

Carolina Panthers 23 – 10 Arizona Cardinals

I think that the Panthers start off strong with an opening touchdown, then their backups get to work against a weak Cardinals defense. The Cardinals are able to get Jermiyah Love in the end zone once, but can’t get much offense through Carson Beck. That’s my prediction. Obviously it’s the Hall of Fame Game so predictions don’t really matter, but there’s mine. Check my preseason power rankings for what I think the state of the NFL is.

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