The Carolina Panthers, fresh off a thrilling Hall of Fame Game victory over the Arizona Cardinals, will play their second preseason game Saturday afternoon, Aug. 15, against the Buffalo Bills. This time, Bryce Young and the starters are expected to join the action.
The Panthers also will be part of a little history in Buffalo. Saturday’s game will be the first contest at the Bills’ new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, which replaces the team’s longtime home next door in Orchard Park.
Carolina launched into the preseason with a 33-30 victory over Arizona on Aug. 6, but the win came with a cost. Quarterback Haynes King, who scored the winning touchdown on the final play, suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to miss time. The Panthers signed veteran quarterback Kyle Trask on Sunday.
🔄 Last Updated: August 10, 2026
🏟️ Preseason Game
Carolina Panthers (1-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
Last Meeting: Buffalo Bills 40, Carolina Panthers 9 (Oct. 26, 2025)
TV: Panthers Television Network (WSOC-TV in Charlotte; WRAL/WRAZ in Raleigh-Durham)
Streaming: Panthers.com and Panthers app (free in-market); NFL+
Radio: Panthers Radio Network
📚 Last time out for the Panthers
Carolina Panthers 33, Arizona Cardinals 30 – Aug. 6, 2026, Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH
- Undrafted free agent quarterback Haynes King scrambled five yards for the winning touchdown on the final play
- King finished 21-of-34 passing, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns in a backup role to Kenny Pickett
- The Panthers twice erased deficits to secure the win on a weekend when former star linebacker Luke Kuechly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
🔍 Panthers at Bills (Preseason): What to Watch
🏈 Bryce Young, starters shift Panthers into season-prep mode
The Hall of Fame Game served largely as a showcase and evaluation opportunity for Carolina’s younger players and roster hopefuls. Saturday represents the next phase of the preseason, with Canales beginning the transition toward preparing his regular-season lineup.
Canales said that starters will play against Buffalo, giving fans a first look at quarterback Bryce Young and others who did not see the field against Arizona. Backups Kenny Pickett and Haynes King handled quarterbacking duties in the opener, with Pickett subbed out in the second quarter.
“We’ll get (Young) out there and probably play something similar to what Kenny and that group played in the Hall of Fame Game — so somewhere between 10 and 20 plays depending on how those drives pan out,” Canales told reporters (Charlotte Observer).
🏟️ Panthers Help Open New Highmark Stadium
The Panthers represent the first opponent Buffalo will face in its new state-of-the-art football home, Highmark Stadium. The Bills drew a crowd of 51,807 fans for its first “Return of the Blue and Red” practice on Aug. 8.
Buffalo will move away from artificial turf and instead use a natural playing surface (Kentucky bluegrass) for the first time since the 1970s.
While this game won’t count in the standings in any meaningful way, the Panthers do have a chance to spoil Buffalo’s new stadium debut by winning the game – which would be a nice little historical footnote one day.
🏥 Haynes King out, Kyle Trask in
King, the hero of the Hall of Fame Game (and a former ACC Player of the Year), injured his hamstring on the final play, a 5-yard TD scramble. He is out for Saturday’s game and is listed as “week to week,” per Canales. Pickett will remain the backup to Young, with recent signee Kyle Trask as the No. 3 option.
Trask, 28, played collegiately with the Florida Gators. He spent multiple seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in 2025. He was in Tampa when Canales was an assistant coach there.
📝 Game Recap
Check back after the game for the final score, key moments, standout performances, stats and a postgame recap.
🔗 Carolina Panthers Resources on NC Football News
- Carolina Panthers Hub Page: 2026 Schedule, Team Notes, History
- Carolina Panthers rally past Arizona Cardinals 33-30: More details on the Panthers’ Hall of Fame Game victory
