Two teams that limped out of 2025 kick off preseason with more questions than answers at quarterback — and this one's less about the scoreboard than about who's even taking snaps in September.
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CARARI
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Carolina brings the more settled situation into this one — Bryce Young is the entrenched starter with a real offense being built around him, while Arizona is still sorting out which of three arms leads the huddle. That kind of continuity tends to show up first in preseason openers, even with backups mixed in.
Panthers
+Made playoffs in 2025, first since 2017
+Bryce Young entrenched as starter, trending up in camp
+Chuba Hubbard leads a deep backfield
−Lost 4 of last 5 to close 2025
−Young still unextended, playing for a new deal
−Ekwonu and McMillan both questionable in camp
Cardinals
+Drafted Jeremiyah Love No. 3 overall for the backfield
+Trey McBride a steady, established weapon at tight end
+New coaching staff under Mike LaFleur bringing fresh approach
−James Conner limited by foot injury through offseason work
Thursday's opener at State Farm Stadium is really two quarterback auditions happening at once. Bryce Young led Carolina to its first playoff berth since 2017 last season but still didn't throw for 200 yards a game on average, and the Panthers have made clear he's not getting an extension until he shows more — new play-caller Brad Idzik is supposed to help fix that. Arizona's situation is messier: with Kyler Murray gone, it's a genuine three-man race between veteran Jacoby Brissett, journeyman Gardner Minshew, and rookie Carson Beck, and none of it will be settled by kickoff at 5:00 PM MT.
The backfields carry their own intrigue. Chuba Hubbard heads into camp positioned as Carolina's lead back, with Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne pushing from behind, while tackle Ikem Ekwonu and receiver Tetairoa McMillan are both listed questionable after offseason injuries. Arizona, meanwhile, used the No. 3 overall pick on Jeremiyah Love to reshape a backfield where James Conner has been limited to side work all offseason with a foot issue — that's a lot of new pieces for a team still figuring out who throws them the ball.
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CAR Panthers
ARI Cardinals
Neither team gave the league much reason for optimism down the stretch last year. Carolina dropped 4 of its final 5, including a 31-34 shootout loss to the Rams, while Arizona closed on an ugly 5-game skid that included getting outscored 45-17 and 40-20 in back-to-back weeks. Preseason openers rarely tell you much, but for two rosters this unsettled, every rep matters more than usual.
Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals
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Carolina's receiver room is crowded — Jalen Coker just signed a 3-year extension and Xavier Legette reported to camp down 7-9 pounds — which should give Young more to work with than he had last year. Arizona's version of that story is Trey McBride, who remains the steady piece at tight end regardless of which quarterback ends up throwing him the ball, a rare point of certainty on that side.
Carolina Panthers
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Arizona Cardinals
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Don't expect either team's true starters to play deep into this one — preseason openers are about evaluating depth, not settling the QB battle outright. But how Young looks against Arizona's shuffled secondary, and which of Brissett, Minshew, or Beck gets the first crack with the ones, will shape how each fan base reads the next month of camp.
