The annual National Football League pre-season and schedule calendar officially kicks off with the traditional Hall of Fame Game, which took place at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, featuring the Carolina Panthers squaring off against the Arizona Cardinals. Following the pre-season exhibitions, the official 2026 regular-season campaign gets underway with the heavily anticipated primetime Kickoff Game hosted by the defending champions or marquee scheduling partners in early September, setting off another thrilling year of professional football across the United States.