My least favorite game to watch or scout of any game in the entire football season/schedule—the Hall of Fame Game. And spoiler alert: This year’s version is no exception.
But it’s my duty to watch the game/tape and see if there are any gold nuggets to take away for Fantasy 2026, so here I am--reporting for duty.
Let’s quickly talk about the game itself, and then we’ll isolate on the players themselves...
All I could think watching this game was: This is like a glorified ‘joint practice’; an expanded 7-on-7 session with 11 players on each side instead. It was no pass rush rules (I think the coaches agreed not to pressure each other) with mostly preplanned throws to spots under no real pass rush to receivers barely covered.
The new NFL, the new era coaches are not wanting to put their players at risk. Sean McVay started holding out his starters from any preseason game a few years ago, and everyone in NFL analysis and fandom clutched their pearls and proclaimed how terrible an idea this was...and then the Rams made nothing but Super Bowl runs almost every year, then coaches all raced to copy McVay’s methods (to their credit), and now most teams don’t play their ‘real’ players in the preseason...they especially don’t play critical players in the Hall of Fame game.
All that said, it’s the first football of the new season...and none of what I just preached matters to most analysts or fans. People are geeked that football is back, so anything remotely successful from a rookie is amplified by a thousand-fold. I’m not gonna go check the sportsbooks to see the latest NFL MVP odds right now, because I don’t want to see Carson Beck sitting in the top 3 for that award.
You can count on three things from this HOF game...
1: It’s a boring game watch.
2: The public will mistakenly get hyped for any rookie who did a thing.
3: Cris Collinsworth will say with all the passion he has left in his soul: You know, these guys are playing for their careers...they want to put up good tape for other teams to see-- implying we’re watching 22 guys who are gonna get cut in 4 weeks
Football is back! I am back...already in midseason-crank form about it.
As for the game itself, it was a fun light scrimmage to watch. Efficient. High scoring. Safe. Carolina won, but my biggest team type takeaway--the first game event for the new regime in Arizona...it was not a disaster. The Cardinals offense functioned OK...it wasn’t butchered to where we can already proclaim ‘it’s gonna be a long season in Arizona’. Arizona was as cromulent as any preseason team; any preseason offense could be. It's not a done deal, I'm not saying Arizona's gonna be coached well... I was just on the lookout to see if there were any early signs of complete stupidity but it was a very normal game plan and play calls for Arizona. I want Mike LaFleur to copy everything from Sean McVeigh that he can...for FF results.
Here’s a 1-minute highlight reel of the game so you can get a feel what was happening in-game: https://youtube.com/shorts/NGz-xJmd_bc?si=g-sfXE_p2v-hIhp2
Actually, the game ended on an exciting final play for the win attempt with 0:02 remaining, Carolina dropped back to pass from goal-to-go and Haynes King ran it up the middle, juked a defender, and dove for the end zone as he got hit and scored the game winner for Carolina.
Player Notes...
Let's talk about the quarterbacks first, and foremost--because they were definitely the most interesting, name worthy/recognizable things in this game.
-- First, we have to talk about Carson Beck (15-19 for 188 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) because he completed several preprogrammed passes and one or two shots downfield on some broken coverage... And that equals, to the fans and some football analysts, that Beck is now the best quarterback on the Cardinals and he should start Week 1.
I don't know what's worse, the sheer stupidity of football analysts on this or the mind numbed robots following all that among the fans. You mean to tell me that a rookie QB completing some basic passes in a game where it looked like they predetermined not to apply any pressure nor press cover equals a new franchise QB?
I kept seeing on social media--look at that completion percentage (for Beck)! Yeah it was great, but then Kedon Slovis (9-10 for 106 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) came in behind him and completed 90% of his passes. So, should Slovis start too? Beck being a drafted rookie plus being a guy most people who were forced to watch this game had seen play in college in his illustrious 21-year college career. I think just the fact that he was the most recognizable name and a quarterback meant that if he did anything not-bad it was gonna be heralded as Tom Brady-like. It was solid, safe, competent, back-up QB level play by Beck. It’s a good thing.
It was only a few years ago and then everything beyond that, that rookie QBs would come into their rookie preseason debut and completely meltdown off the bat as they got adjusted to NFL speed. But these current QBs that have played a million years in college and threw the ball a million times from grade school on up through college, this near two-hand touch version of an NFL preseason game was no big deal for Beck. In his entire career, Beck will probably never play an NFL game that had any more pressure or audience than he did when he played at Georgia or Miami. This was a downgrade event for him.
And if Beck was the only QB that handled himself solidly in this game, then that might be something to talk about. But literally every QB that played in this game looked about the same. They all looked capable, not afraid of the moment, and they threw a lot of short passes with high completion percentage... which is what you want in a first preseason game, and all you can expect when they're playing behind 5th string offensive lines and working with 4th string wide receivers and running backs.
Kenny Pickett (8-11 for 62 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) was the starter for Carolina, and he looked like the same Kenny Pickett I always see. He's competent and capable and not afraid, but he's just never gonna be in a position to be unleashed to have things built around him so there's no sense in even thinking about him for any type of fantasy future or takeover of Bryce.
Carolina rookie Haynes King (21-34 for 180 yards, 2 TD/0 INT, 3-39-1) came in after Pickett and completed 60%+ of his passes and threw a couple touchdown passes and also rushed for the game winner. Why isn't anyone proclaiming him as the new starting QB for Carolina? Beck looked better than King because Beck is a more traditional passer, has a better arm and size, and can actually run surprisingly well.
King runs really well but not in a way that you're gonna build an entire offense around him and his runner passer skills. King doesn't have a true NFL arm, but he can make up for some of that with his feet but it's not enough really to get any traction in the NFL right now. King is gonna have to be on practice squads and be a journeyman and really hone his craft and hope that he catches a break four or five plus years from now.
-- Two Carolina running backs got my attention in this one, and I did not expect to be writing about that coming in.
Trevor Etienne (10-38-0, 2-14-0/2), brother of Travis, started for the Panthers and looked OK. Nothing really jumped out at me on him. He’s every fringe NFL RB body.
But then AJ Dillon (3-18-1, 1-18-0/1) came in and looked like his peak self from 3 or 4 years ago. I would say of all the players who were able to catch my attention here, Dillon was the one that most caught my attention the most. He’s always been a legit running back with three down tools, but he’s always getting hurt or stuck in a weird running game situation and he never has gotten to have his full moment in the NFL--but when pressed into being a starter he’s had some monster games in the league. He’s the closest thing to Earl Campbell the NFL has had in the last decade. But he never locked into the chance to show it for an entire season.
I’m sure he’ll be cut by the Panthers and maybe put on the practice squad, but I imagine someone will likely claim him because he’s just too good to have, but who knows. All I know is he looked like the only legit NFL player of any fantasy ability or consequence, if the opportunity arose.
But the real surprise in the Carolina backfield, in this game, was UDFA rookie out of Utah State, a very solid 5'11", 215-pound Miles Davis (6-51-1, 1-8-0/1). He came in very late and popped a 36-yard run and had a nice catch and made an impact to help the Panthers get the comeback win. I doubt he’ll ever get the chance to show us more of what he can do, given that he was the last RB in this game for the Panthers. I’d like to see more of his work against some better defenses to get a better idea of whether he’s got any NFL hope.
-- No receiver on either team really stood out to me at this game. There were some capable guys on the field, but I didn’t see any real superstar in hiding.
Jimmy Horn Jr. (0-0-0, 3-24-0/4) was probably the most eye-catching talent on the field for either team. He has some struggles with his hands/pass catching, but his movements are like a real slot or speedster guy WR, but I don’t know that he has the hands that will ever carry him through to becoming a starter. He had a decent couple plays in the NFL last year as a sparsely used backup WR that they would put in for jet sweeps or a bubble screen. It just doesn’t look like there’s anything worthy here with Horn.
Casey Washington (0-0-0, 2-18-0/2) has good hands and a nice professional backup WR, unlikely anything that matters for fantasy.
On the other side of the field, I paid attention to Arizona fifth round draft pick WR Reggie Virgil (0-0-0, 3-31-0/4) to see if he had any NFL type of hook or ability. 6’3”/187...a tall, skinny college good wide receiver who is likely to get completely lost and forgotten in the NFL. I know Patrick Mahomes liked him from working out with him in the off-season because of the Texas Tech connection. The Chiefs didn’t even make a move for Virgil, so I knew it was pretty much curtains for him when they didn’t draft him.
-- The only Arizona Cardinal outside of looking at the QB that I made a real note on was Andrew Billings (3 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1 TFLs, 0 PDs, 0 INTs), a long time NFL DT journeyman.
He was the biggest guy on the field and the most active, disruptive defender. Even the TV commentators were amazed at his sheer size and movement ability. He looks like he’s still a legit NFL defensive tackle, so how he was working in a Hall of Fame game on a Cardinals defense I have no idea. Here’s what he looked like if you think I’m kidding: https://x.com/SharpFootball/status/2085522148571943159?s=20
-- I was a little surprised to see Carolina tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (0-0-0, 2-19-0/3) starting playing a bunch in this type of game, but I believe he’s been hurt and missed a lot of time in his first few years, so it looked like they got him in the game and gave him work so that he could knock off some of the rust. He didn’t stand out one way or the other.
-- My final note is on Mike Tomlin of all things.
It was his broadcasting debut as far as I can tell. He was on the pregame and also did some analysis in-game and at halftime, I think. Not a featured broadcaster, just a guy part of the team trying to get his feet wet, and I gotta say I thought he did a decent job.
My expectations were low, as it would be for most any former head coaches entering the broadcasting world. They never seem to be very good at it and why would they be? But I must say Tomlin was pretty relaxed and a very likable guy. None of his football analysis made any sense or was mind blowing cerebral… But he was more on the likable and relatable side with the cachet that he brings to the table to begin with.
I think he’s going to be OK for as long as he wants to do that. He’s perfect for the NFL… Former coach and likable and can communicate well without sounding silly or arrogant or detached or over trying. He has a natural personality that I think the average fan base of the NFL, who is used to pure and dumbed down football analysis, will like him. He’s a likable guy... at least on this day he was.
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