The Hall of Fame Game Curse Is Bad News for Panthers and Cardinals

Two things are certain as NFL action kicks off with Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game: The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers are playing in the opener… and they won't be involved in the closer.

It's the "Canton Curse." No team that has participated in the Ohio exhibition contest has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl in the same season.

Heck, only three of the Hall of Fame Game's 112 participants in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) have even reached the Big Game, and none since the 2001 season. (There was no Hall of Fame game in 2011, 2016 or 2020.)

Sorry to rain on the parade plans for the diehard Arizona and Carolina fans who actually thought this might be "their year" (lol), but the Cardinals and Panthers -- two of the 12 NFL teams that have never lifted a Lombardi Trophy -- will not be on the field for Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Try to look on the bright side, though. You can book Valentine's Day reservations at your significant others' favorite restaurants far, far in advance. Like today, even.

Sure, it won't exactly be a shocker if the Cardinals and Panthers don't make it to the Super Bowl or even the playoffs, but the curse is serious business. It waylaid a couple of heavyweights last year in the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers.

On the off, off, off chance that Carolina or Arizona is still playing in February, the curse isn't done with them. The three previous Hall of Fame Game participants who did play for the ultimate prize all came up short.

The Cincinnati Bengals opened the 1988 season with a 14-7 win against the Los Angeles Rams in Canton and ended it with a 20-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII.

The San Diego Chargers opened the 1994 season with a 21-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Canton and ended it with a 49-26 thumping by the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX.

Not even "The Greatest Show on Turf" could avoid the jinx. Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the St. Louis Rams opened the 2001 season with a 17-10 defeat of the Miami Dolphins in Canton but ended it with a 20-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.

The Hall of Fame Game's participants often have a connection to that year's induction class. Such will be the case on Thursday, with the Class of 2026 featuring former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Both of Thursday's participants are long shots to end the curse. Carolina hasn't had a winning season since 2017, while Arizona finished above .500 just once in the past 10 seasons.

The Cardinals played in the first Hall of Fame Game in 1962 and are back for the sixth time, the first since 2017. They lost their only Big Game appearance at Super Bowl XLIII.

The Panthers won their only previous appearance in Canton back in 1995. They are 0-2 in the championship game, losing Super Bowls XXXVIII and 50.

Of course, all hexes eventually end. This curse of six-plus decades will, too. But only after Arizona/Carolina fans add a few curses of their own to the mix.