Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett will get the start for the Carolina Panthers when they open the season against the Arizona Cardinals in Thursday’s preseason Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

The game will be broadcast on WRAL at 8 p.m. Sports anchors Chris Lea, co-host of Panthers Playbook, and Pat Welter will be live in Canton for the game and for Saturday’s Hall of Fame inductions. Former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is among those being inducted. Lea and Welter will host a WRAL special "Carolina to Canton" on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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Former Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri and former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig will also be inducted alongside Kuechly. 

Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick out of Pittsburgh, signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Panthers in the offseason to serve as Bryce Young’s backup. Carolina traded backup Andy Dalton to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 seventh-round draft pick.

“Kenny will start the game off,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said Monday. “For how long, I’m not sure. We have a good number of guys that’ll be helping out early in the game because we don’t want to overload any one particular group on our team. We do have practices leading into the game and we have coming out of it.” 

Outside of Young and Pickett, the only other quarterback on the Panthers roster is undrafted free agent rookie Haynes King from Georgia Tech.

Canales said no starters, including Young, will play in the preseason opener. First-round pick Monroe Freeling, who is expected to start due to injuries along the offensive line, won’t play, either.

“There are some competition battles for starting positions where guys will have an opportunity to play a little bit,” Canales said. “Some of the guys we’re expecting to be out there right off the bat, we won’t play those guys in this game.”

The Panthers will play four preseason games this year because of their participation in the Hall of Fame Game. The NFL moved to three preseason games when it expanded the regular-season schedule to 17 games.

Carolina visits Buffalo on Aug. 15, Jacksonville on Aug. 21 and hosts Houston on Aug. 28 in its preseason finale. 

“These are valuable opportunities for all these guys fighting for these positions, whether it’s on the active roster or on practice squad,” Canales said. “Just more game reps to be able to see what they can do.”

The Panthers host Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 13 in the season opener. That game will be broadcast on Fox 50 at 1 p.m.