Every NFL season starts in the same place: a 23,000-seat stadium in Canton, Ohio, next door to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Game is the league’s annual preseason opener, played during enshrinement weekend as the new class of Hall of Famers is honored on the field. In 2026, that means the Carolina Panthers visit the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, August 6, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The pairing is no accident. Since 2011, the league has picked the two teams based on that year’s induction class, and the Class of 2026 features Larry Fitzgerald, who spent all 17 of his seasons with the Cardinals, and Luke Kuechly, who played his entire career in Carolina. Both franchises get a direct tie to the men going into the Hall two days later.
The game itself predates the museum. The first edition was played on August 11, 1962 — a 21-21 tie between the New York Giants and the then-St. Louis Cardinals — staged as a fundraiser while the Hall of Fame building was still under construction. It moved to the front of the preseason in 1970, ran as an AFC-vs-NFC matchup from 1971 to 2010, switched to the inductee-tied format in 2011, and has kicked off on Thursday night since 2017. One quirk worth knowing: the result doesn’t count in official preseason records.
NFL Preseason
Hall of Fame Game: Every Result Since 1962
All-time matchups, records and oddities from Canton’s annual kickoff
1962First Game
Aug 6, 2026Kickoff
5Most Wins
23KCanton Seats
All-Time Hall of Fame Game Results, 1962–2026
Newest first. Four scheduled games were never played: 1966 (merger talks), 2011 (lockout), 2016 (field conditions) and 2020 (COVID-19).
| Year |
Date |
Result |
Notes |
| 2026 |
Aug. 6, 2026 |
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals |
Upcoming — 8 p.m. ET, NBC |
| 2025 |
July 31, 2025 |
Chargers 34, Lions 7 |
|
| 2024 |
Aug. 1, 2024 |
Bears 21, Texans 17 |
Ended in 3rd quarter (storms) |
| 2023 |
Aug. 3, 2023 |
Browns 21, Jets 16 |
|
| 2022 |
Aug. 4, 2022 |
Raiders 27, Jaguars 11 |
|
| 2021 |
Aug. 5, 2021 |
Steelers 16, Cowboys 3 |
|
| 2020 |
Aug. 6, 2020 |
Cowboys vs. Steelers |
Not played — COVID-19 |
| 2019 |
Aug. 1, 2019 |
Broncos 14, Falcons 10 |
|
| 2018 |
Aug. 2, 2018 |
Ravens 17, Bears 16 |
Ravens’ first appearance |
| 2017 |
Aug. 3, 2017 |
Cowboys 20, Cardinals 18 |
First Thursday-night edition |
| 2016 |
Aug. 7, 2016 |
Packers vs. Colts |
Not played — field conditions |
| 2015 |
Aug. 9, 2015 |
Vikings 14, Steelers 3 |
|
| 2014 |
Aug. 3, 2014 |
Giants 17, Bills 13 |
|
| 2013 |
Aug. 4, 2013 |
Cowboys 24, Dolphins 20 |
|
| 2012 |
Aug. 5, 2012 |
Saints 17, Cardinals 10 |
|
| 2011 |
Aug. 7, 2011 |
Bears vs. Rams |
Not played — lockout |
| 2010 |
Aug. 8, 2010 |
Cowboys 16, Bengals 7 |
|
| 2009 |
Aug. 9, 2009 |
Titans 21, Bills 18 |
|
| 2008 |
Aug. 3, 2008 |
Washington 30, Colts 16 |
|
| 2007 |
Aug. 5, 2007 |
Steelers 20, Saints 7 |
|
| 2006 |
Aug. 6, 2006 |
Raiders 16, Eagles 10 |
|
| 2005 |
Aug. 8, 2005 |
Bears 27, Dolphins 24 |
|
| 2004 |
Aug. 9, 2004 |
Washington 20, Broncos 17 |
|
| 2003 |
Aug. 4, 2003 |
Chiefs 9, Packers 0 |
Ended in 3rd quarter (lightning) |
| 2002 |
Aug. 5, 2002 |
Giants 34, Texans 17 |
Texans’ first NFL game |
| 2001 |
Aug. 6, 2001 |
Rams 17, Dolphins 10 |
|
| 2000 |
July 31, 2000 |
Patriots 20, 49ers 0 |
|
| 1999 |
Aug. 9, 1999 |
Browns 20, Cowboys 17 |
Browns’ return to the NFL |
| 1998 |
Aug. 1, 1998 |
Buccaneers 30, Steelers 6 |
|
| 1997 |
July 26, 1997 |
Vikings 28, Seahawks 26 |
|
| 1996 |
July 27, 1996 |
Colts 10, Saints 3 |
|
| 1995 |
July 29, 1995 |
Panthers 20, Jaguars 14 |
First game for both expansion teams |
| 1994 |
July 30, 1994 |
Falcons 21, Chargers 17 |
|
| 1993 |
July 31, 1993 |
Raiders 19, Packers 3 |
|
| 1992 |
Aug. 1, 1992 |
Jets 41, Eagles 14 |
|
| 1991 |
July 27, 1991 |
Lions 14, Broncos 3 |
|
| 1990 |
Aug. 4, 1990 |
Bears 13, Browns 0 |
|
| 1989 |
Aug. 5, 1989 |
Washington 31, Bills 6 |
|
| 1988 |
July 30, 1988 |
Bengals 14, Rams 7 |
|
| 1987 |
Aug. 8, 1987 |
49ers 20, Chiefs 7 |
|
| 1986 |
Aug. 2, 1986 |
Patriots 21, Cardinals 16 |
|
| 1985 |
Aug. 3, 1985 |
Giants 21, Oilers 20 |
|
| 1984 |
July 28, 1984 |
Seahawks 38, Buccaneers 0 |
Biggest blowout in game history |
| 1983 |
July 30, 1983 |
Steelers 27, Saints 14 |
|
| 1982 |
Aug. 7, 1982 |
Vikings 30, Colts 14 |
|
| 1981 |
Aug. 1, 1981 |
Browns 24, Falcons 10 |
|
| 1980 |
Aug. 2, 1980 |
Chargers 0, Packers 0 (tie) |
Ended early (severe storm) |
| 1979 |
July 28, 1979 |
Raiders 20, Cowboys 13 |
|
| 1978 |
July 29, 1978 |
Eagles 17, Dolphins 3 |
|
| 1977 |
July 30, 1977 |
Bears 20, Jets 6 |
|
| 1976 |
July 24, 1976 |
Broncos 10, Lions 7 |
|
| 1975 |
Aug. 2, 1975 |
Washington 17, Bengals 9 |
|
| 1974 |
July 27, 1974 |
Cardinals 21, Bills 13 |
|
| 1973 |
July 28, 1973 |
49ers 20, Patriots 7 |
|
| 1972 |
July 29, 1972 |
Chiefs 23, Giants 17 |
|
| 1971 |
July 31, 1971 |
Rams 17, Oilers 6 |
First AFC-vs-NFC edition |
| 1970 |
Aug. 8, 1970 |
Saints 14, Vikings 13 |
Moved to preseason opener |
| 1969 |
Sept. 13, 1969 |
Packers 38, Falcons 24 |
|
| 1968 |
Aug. 3, 1968 |
Bears 30, Cowboys 24 |
|
| 1967 |
Aug. 5, 1967 |
Eagles 28, Browns 13 |
|
| 1966 |
— |
No game |
Not played — AFL-NFL merger talks |
| 1965 |
Sept. 12, 1965 |
Washington 20, Lions 3 |
|
| 1964 |
Sept. 6, 1964 |
Colts 48, Steelers 17 |
|
| 1963 |
Sept. 8, 1963 |
Steelers 16, Browns 7 |
|
| 1962 |
Aug. 11, 1962 |
Giants 21, Cardinals 21 (tie) |
First Hall of Fame Game |
Hall of Fame Game Records & Notable Games
| Record |
Holder |
Detail |
| Most wins |
Bears & Washington |
5 each — Chicago’s fifth came in the storm-shortened 2024 game |
| Most appearances |
Cowboys & Steelers |
7 each |
| Only back-to-back appearances |
Steelers |
1963 and 1964 |
| Biggest blowout |
Seahawks 38, Buccaneers 0 |
1984 |
| Only scoreless game |
Chargers 0, Packers 0 |
1980 — called early because of a severe storm |
| Ties |
Two |
1962 (21-21) and 1980 (0-0) |
| Last franchise to debut |
Ravens |
2018 — a 17-16 win over the Bears |
| Weather-shortened games |
Three |
1980, 2003 and 2024 |
Expansion Welcome Mat
New franchises have often played their first-ever game in Canton: the Jaguars and Panthers faced off in 1995, the Texans debuted in 2002, and the rebooted Browns returned here in 1999.
The League’s Rules Lab
With nothing at stake, the game doubles as a testing ground. The NFL’s dynamic kickoff made its debut in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game before rolling out league-wide.
An Extra Game — and an Early Camp
The two Canton teams play a fifth preseason game instead of the usual four, and their training camps open roughly a week earlier than the rest of the league.
How Teams Actually Treat the Game
Don’t expect the 2026 game to look like Week 2 of the regular season. Starters typically play a series or two at most — often not at all — and coaches use the night to evaluate rookies, undrafted free agents and roster-bubble veterans in a live setting. Because the two participating teams report to training camp about a week before everyone else, the game is best understood as an early checkpoint in camp rather than a genuine contest. That’s also why the league is comfortable using it to trial rules changes, as it did with the dynamic kickoff in 2024.
The Bottom Line
The Hall of Fame Game is the ceremonial start of the NFL year: an exhibition in Canton, tied to the induction class, that has been played (weather and world events permitting) since 1962. The 2026 edition brings the Cardinals and Panthers to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 6 to honor Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly — the Cardinals’ sixth trip to Canton and the Panthers’ first since their 1995 debut. The score won’t matter, and it won’t even count in preseason records. The weekend around it — and the gold jackets — will. For the full list of every enshrinee by franchise, see our breakdown of Hall of Famers by team.
