Cardinals and Panthers First Teams to Report to 2026 Training Camp
Cardinals and Panthers Open 2026 Camp First
The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers became the first two NFL teams to have veterans report to training camp in 2026, checking in on July 22. The early arrival is tied directly to their participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 6, at 8 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The remaining 30 teams will all be in camp by July 28.
The Cardinals are designated as the home team for the game. It will be Arizona's sixth appearance in Canton, where they carry a 1-3-1 record in previous Hall of Fame games. For Carolina, it is their first trip to Canton since the franchise's inaugural 1995 appearance, when they faced the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The game also ties directly into the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on August 8, which features two players closely connected to these franchises: longtime Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. Drew Brees, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri round out the five-person class.
Cardinals Fantasy Outlook
Arizona enters 2026 under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur with one of the more interesting fantasy rosters in the league.
Tight end Trey McBride is the anchor. His 126 receptions in 2025 set the NFL single-season record for a tight end, cementing his status as a first-round fantasy asset going into 2026.