Which two 2026 NFL teams played four preseason games instead of three?

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals played four preseason games in 2026 instead of the usual three.

Both teams were selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, which was played on August 6 in Canton, Ohio. The Hall of Fame matchup is an additional exhibition placed before the three standard preseason weeks, giving its participants one more game than most NFL teams.

Carolina and Arizona then continued through the regular three-week schedule. Their extra contest was not a playoff or regular-season game; it was a special exhibition connected to the Hall of Fame's enshrinement festivities.

Since the NFL moved to a 17-game regular season, most teams generally play three preseason games. The fourth-game exception is therefore a useful schedule fact, but it should not be mistaken for a difference in regular-season length. Both clubs still had the same 17-game regular-season format as the rest of the league.