Kenny Pickett, Carson Beck Give Hall of Fame Game Some Real Intrigue

The Hall of Fame Game is here which means one thing.

Football is officially back.

And before you sit back and laugh, Thursday night’s matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals could actually provide a bit of intrigue.

Even though starters will hardly play, and first-round running back Jeremiyah Love has already been ruled out, the first quarter of this game will be must-see television.

Even though the Hall of Fame Game never feels like an actual NFL game, this year’s edition will at least have some first quarter entertainment value because of the quarterback duel between two players trying to prove it in the NFL under very different circumstances.

For the Panthers, Kenny Pickett gets the nod at QB1.

The 28-year-old was well traveled last season. During the offseason, he was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Cleveland Browns, who shipped him off to the Las Vegas Raiders before ever playing in a game.

Pickett appeared in six games for the Raiders last year, making two starts. He threw 45 passing attempts. 62% of them were completed. One was a touchdown. Two were intercepted.

This offseason, Pickett signed a one-year contract with the Panthers worth $4 million guaranteed. He’ll be the primary backup to Bryce Young, one of the league’s more promising quarterbacks that has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies, leaving a window open for Pickett to see regular season action.

Behind Pickett, the Panthers have Haynes King at QB3. He finished 10th in Heisman voting after a strong year at Georgia Tech. Certainly, he’ll see plenty of action in the Hall of Fame Game.

The Cardinals will start rookie quarterback Carson Beck at QB1.

Arizona selected Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft following an impressive season with the Miami Hurricanes.

Even though Beck wasn’t considered a top quarterback in a weak class, there’s plenty of intrigue. He played a lot of college football, throwing over 11,000 yards and 88 touchdowns during six seasons, even though he didn’t see any action his redshirt freshman year at Georgia.

In the 2026 draft, Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Raiders before the Los Angeles Rams shocked everyone and drafted Ty Simpson at No. 13. Beck was the next quarterback selected at No. 65 overall. Weak QB class? Or is it possible that the Cardinals found a hidden gem? Thursday will begin the process of finding out.

Because of all that experience, the 23-year-old Beck could see action quicker in the NFL. Perhaps the Cardinals give him a look in the regular season, especially if Jacoby Brissett is mediocre by the end of the year.

Beck is competing with Gardner Minshew II for Arizona’s backup quarterback spot.

So enjoy the Hall of Fame Game. Don’t be shamed because of it. At least for a drive or two, there’s a few storylines to follow on Thursday.