2026 Hall of Fame Game Film Study: What Actually Matters

No one wins a starting job in the Hall of Fame Game. At least, they shouldn’t.

In a time where football fans across the world are staving for footballs flying through the air, explosive plays being made, and pads clashing, the NFL Hall of Fame kicks off the professional season. In years past, the Hall of Fame game has been a lower-scoring affair with last year’s 34-7 blowout being the highest scoring contest in the last 10 years with 41 points. Well, that can be put to bed after last night’s 33-30 firework display in Canton, where the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals put on a show for us all. Carolina won in dramatic fashion with a touchdown by Haynes King as time expired. However, what I am interested in is deeper than the final score. I want the tape. I want to see what built to this Panthers’ victory and who’s stock is rising and why.

Hall of Fame Game Film Study: What Actually Matters

The trap that everyone falls into with the preseason is overreaction. So with that in mind, I want to remain grounded. In fact, that’s why I led this article off by mentioning no one typically wins a starting job at the Hall of Fame game.. The athletes playing in that contest were there to seize an opportunity. An opportunity to simply earn more preseason snaps, veterans to shake off rust, and coaches to see whether traits from training camp can translate when the lights come on.

That’s the lens I watched Thursday night’s matchup between the Panthers and Cardinals through. I wasn’t looking for stat leaders or highlight plays — though there was no shortness. I was looking for players who strengthened their case, players who missed an opportunity, and the questions that still need answering as the preseason rolls on. With that being said, there are a number of players who saw their stock rise and some that had uneven performances. Yet, this early in the preseason, I will not be tagging them as stock downs, remember, its early.

Stock Up

Haynes King | QB | Carolina Panthers

Haynes King entered the league as the reigning ACC Player of the Year from Georgia Tech. There was never much doubt about what he could do as an athlete. His mobility, toughness, and competitiveness have always been obvious. The real question was whether he could consistently operate from within structure and win from the pocket, something he will need to be able to do in the NFL.

Thursday night provided an encouraging first answer.

King looked composed throughout the evening, working through progressions, delivering accurate throws, and making sound decisions with the football. Rather than relying on his legs to create offense, he repeatedly showed he could stay on schedule and execute the offense as it was designed. He kept his eyes downfield and remains a passer finding receivers late in downs and earning first downs. Carolina’s offense felt at its most efficient with King under center.

With that being said, in crunch time, King delivered with his legs when the opportunity presented itself. From the board cast angle you will see the moment that it created for the Panthers to earn their first win of the preseason. King created first downs with his legs on 3rd and 14, he managed the clock well in the two-minute drill, and won the game winning touchdown as time expired.

It’s far too early to make sweeping conclusions, but the early indicators are promising. King looks like a quarterback who belongs on an NFL roster as an emergency QB3 with developmental upside. Given his athletic profile, it’s also easy to envision an innovative offensive coordinator carving out a situational package for him similar to a “Taysom Hill Lite” role while he continues to develop as a passer.

Carson Beck | QB | Arizona Cardinals

Carson Beck’s performance looked remarkably similar to the evaluation I had on him coming out of Miami.

Beck operated comfortably within the structure of the offense. He played on time, processed quickly, worked through his reads, and consistently delivered catchable footballs to every level of the field. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary movement or forcing throws. Instead, Beck simply ran the offense the way coaches want a backup quarterback to run it.

Beck also navigated the pocket really well, finding open grass and finding a platform to check the ball down to his outlets underneath. He even was able to pick up a first down with his legs early in the game when the defense gave him too much cushion.

Arizona spent a third-round pick on Beck because they believed he could become a quality NFL quarterback. Thursday night provided an encouraging first step toward validating that investment.

Coming out of college, I viewed Beck as a preferred NFL backup with the potential to serve as a bridge starter if needed. Not because of a stylistic comparison, but because of the role, his career arc reminded me of Jacoby Brissett. One preseason game doesn’t change that projection, it actually reinforced everything I saw from his college tape.

Andrew Billings | DT | Arizona Cardinals

Andrew Billings reminded everyone exactly why he’s carved out a long NFL career.

The veteran defensive tackle consistently compressed the pocket, generated interior push, finished with a sack, and was a force against the run. His most impressive sequence came when Carolina was backed up near its own goal line, where Billings  penetrated into the backfield and nearly generated a safety.

Billings has never been a flashy player. However, he’s always understood how to maximize his size, leverage, and power to control the line of scrimmage. Thursday night looked like vintage Andrew Billings.

Zakee Wheatley | S | Carolina Panthers

Few defenders were around the football as consistently as Zakee Wheatley.

The former Penn State safety repeatedly found his way into the frame, making tackles, playing with urgency, and showing the type of effort coaches love from reserve defensive backs.

With Tre’von Moehrig entrenched ahead of him, Wheatley isn’t competing for a starting role. However, Thursday night’s performance reinforced his value as a special teams contributor and rotational safety. Every roster needs dependable depth, and Wheatley helped strengthen his case.

Stock Hold

Lee Hunter | DT | Carolina Panthers

Lee Hunter’s night wasn’t necessarily poor, but it was quieter than expected.

To his credit, he drew multiple double teams throughout the evening, which naturally limits production. However, impact defensive tackles eventually find ways to influence games, and Hunter never consistently did.

One preseason game won’t define his evaluation, but this felt like a missed opportunity to generate momentum early in training camp. We have plenty more opportunity to watch him throughout the rest of the preseason and he will be worth monitoring.

Sam Hecht | C | Carolina Panthers

The most uneven night among Carolina’s offensive linemen belonged to center Sam Hecht.

Early there were moment that he was overwhelmed (by big Andrew Billings mentioned above) at the point of attack, surrendering ground into the quarterback’s lap and collapsing the pocket from the inside out. The most notable examples came with Carolina backed up near its own goal line, where interior pressure immediately put Kenny Pickett in difficult situations.

Hecht did rebound in the second half where his run blocking and pass protection improved. He was able to sustain one-on-one blocks and generate movement in the run game particularly in zone blocking schemes where I have always felt he has fit best.

Interior offensive line play is often overlooked, but quarterback comfort begins with a clean pocket. On Thursday night, Hecht was a bit up and down and will be worth monitoring as we progress through the preseason.

What I’m Buying

The quarterbacks stole the show.

Haynes King and Carson Beck each strengthened the evaluations I already had on them entering the league.

For Beck, Thursday night’s performance reinforced the belief that he projects as one of the NFL’s better backup quarterbacks with legitimate spot-start potential. He played efficiently, stayed within structure, and looked comfortable directing an NFL offense.

King may have been the bigger surprise. As an undrafted free agent, expectations are naturally lower. However, he looked far more polished than many rookie quarterbacks do in their first NFL action. His athleticism was expected. His ability to process, progress through reads, and consistently win from the pocket was the encouraging takeaway.

If he continues stacking performances like this throughout August, King has a legitimate chance to secure an emergency QB3 role while developing into a dependable backup quarterback down the road. For an undrafted rookie, that’s an outstanding outcome.

What’s Left to Prove

Both quarterbacks passed their first test. The next one will be significantly harder.

Preseason defenses are intentionally vanilla. Coordinators rarely show their full pressure packages, disguise coverages, or challenge quarterbacks with the complexity they’ll face once the regular season begins.

The question now becomes whether King and Beck can maintain this level of play when defensive pictures begin changing after the snap, blitzes become more exotic, and the margin for error shrinks.

For King, those answers will determine whether he develops beyond an emergency quarterback into a true NFL backup.

For Beck, they’ll determine whether he settles into the role of a high-end reserve capable of spot starts or eventually earns consideration as a legitimate bridge starter.

Those answers won’t come from one preseason game. They’ll be earned over the next several weeks and for Beck, maybe even in the regular season down the stretch.

Final Thoughts

The Hall of Fame Game rarely changes the trajectory of a franchise, but it can absolutely change the trajectory of individual careers.

Thursday night wasn’t about naming future stars or writing off players after one performance. It was about identifying who took advantage of an opportunity and who gave evaluators a reason to keep watching.

Haynes King and Carson Beck did exactly that.

The preseason is about gathering evidence, not reaching final verdicts. After one game, both young quarterbacks have given themselves something every player is chasing this time of year: another opportunity to prove they belong.