The NFL Hall of Fame Game will kick off Thursday night to get the preseason underway, marking the first installment of football action for the 2024 season.
The annual showcase game features two teams with ties to the newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame class and treats fans to the first bit of live NFL football since the final whistle at the Super Bowl in February.
Who faces off in the Hall of Fame Game, and where can you watch Thursday night’s matchup? Here’s everything you need to know on how to watch the Hall of Fame Game.
What Is the NFL Hall of Fame Game?
The NFL Hall of Fame Game is an annual preseason game played on the same weekend as the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony and dates back to 1971.
Until 2010, the game featured an AFC and NFC squad facing off, but since 2011, the two featured teams have been tied to someone in that year’s Hall of Fame class.
When Is the NFL Hall of Fame Game in 2024?
- Date: Thursday, Aug. 1
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
Who Is Playing in the Hall of Fame Game?
The Houston Texans will face off against the Chicago Bears in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game. While this won’t be the first time Houston has played in the Hall of Fame Game — they participated in 2002 ahead of their inaugural season — this will be the first time a Texan has been inducted into the Hall of Fame with WR Andre Johnson’s inclusion.
Meanwhile, Chicago was here not too long ago, losing to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. Bears fans have a whole host of players to celebrate. WR Devin Hester and DE Julius Peppers will be inducted, while DT Steve McMichael will be a senior finalist in the 2024 class. The honoring and celebration of the former players will occur next door to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, where the game will be played.
What Channel Is the Hall of Fame Game On?
ESPN and ABC will broadcast the 2024 Hall of Fame Game at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1. This will be the first time the matchup has aired on ESPN in the game’s 52-year history.
History of the Hall of Fame Game
The first Hall of Fame Game was played in 1962, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame officially opened the following year. In 1970, the NFL began playing the Hall of Fame Game at the start of the preseason.
Since 1962, the Hall of Fame Game has been played every season, but there have been a few exceptions. In 1966, the AFL-NFL merger scuttled that season’s HOF plans. In 2011, the game was canceled due to the ongoing NFL lockout.
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Poor field conditions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium doomed the contest in 2016. Then, in 2020, COVID-19 canceled the matchup and forced the NFL to shut down the entire preseason. The 2023 game went off without a hitch, with rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rallying the Browns for a come-from-behind 21-16 victory over the New York Jets.
Is the Hall of Fame Game Considered Preseason?
The Hall of Fame Game is considered an exhibition game like the rest of the preseason. The matchup occurs one week before Week 1 of the preseason slate. When the preseason schedule was reduced to three games in 2021, the Hall of Fame game was not included in that calculation, meaning the Texans and Bears will still play a total of four preseason games in 2024.
Who Is Being Inducted Into the HOF in 2024?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will add seven members to its ranks in 2024:
Julius Peppers
The only first-ballot Hall of Famer in the 2024 class, Julius Peppers dominated at almost every level of his sport. He earned Male Athlete of the Year from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in his senior year. He was also a member of the UNC Sports Hall of Fame, the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor, and one of the 100 greatest Chicago Bears of all time.
Peppers was selected second overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft and took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after amassing 12 sacks and five forced fumbles. He’s the only player in NFL history with at least 100 sacks and 10 or more interceptions.
The defensive end and linebacker was voted to the Pro Bowl nine times while receiving first-team All-NFL honors three times. He’s also a part of the NFL 2000s and 2010s All-Decade team — a worthy and expected choice to become the NFL’s next first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Devin Hester
A player rarely enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame due to contributions on special teams. However, when you are one of the most dominant kick and punt returners the NFL has ever seen, there’s an exception. Enter Bears legend Devin Hester.
Hester was drafted by Chicago in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft after a productive three-year career with the Miami Hurricanes. Another member of the 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade teams, he finished his career with a total of 11,028 return yards and 19 touchdowns.
He holds the NFL record for most combined special teams return TDs (20), most punt return touchdowns in a career (14), and the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl History (14 seconds), just to name a few. After three years, the wait is over for the special teams extraordinaire.
Andre Johnson
Former Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson’s three-year wait also ends as the seven-time Pro Bowler is a 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class member. As a member of the Miami Hurricanes from 2000-2003, Johnson helped lead the Hurricanes to an undefeated season and national championship in 2002.
Johnson was drafted third overall by the Texans in the 2003 NFL Draft. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards seven times and led the NFL in receiving in 2008 and 2009. He was given first-team All-Pro in those seasons. Johnson finished his career as Houston’s franchise leader in most receiving statistics.
He was the first person to enter the Houston Texans Ring of Honor while also being a member of the Texas and Houston Sports Hall of Fame. He finished his career with 14,185 yards and 70 receiving touchdowns.
Dwight Freeney
The next member of the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class made quite an impact on the defensive line. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Dwight Freeney with the 11th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He went to the Pro Bowl seven times while earning first-team All-Pro honors three times.
He was the NFL’s sack leader in 2004 after taking down the QB 16 times, amassing 125.5 sacks throughout his career. He was also credited with 47 forced fumbles, tied for the third most in NFL history. Freeney was a part of the 2006 Colts squad that won Super Bowl 41. He was also honored in the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, and his No. 54 was retired at Syracuse.
Just missing the first ballot Hall of Fame selection, Freeney gets inducted in his second year of eligibility after being a finalist in 2023. While Freeney enjoys his rounds on the golf course with Michael Jordan in his retirement, it’s time to honor his impactful career.
Patrick Willis
A lasting presence for the San Francisco 49ers since his rookie season, linebacker Patrick Willis was a force to be reckoned with over the middle. A Jack Lambert Trophy and Butkus Award winner for Ole Miss, Willis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He increased his draft stock with an impressive performance at the NFL Combine.
Willis was drafted by San Francisco with the 11th pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. A Day 1 starter, he had 174 combined tackles, 135 solo, and four sacks on his way to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2007. He won the Bill Walsh Award in 2009 as the 49ers’ most valuable player.
A seven-time pro bowler, Willis earned first-team All-Pro nods five times and is in the 49ers Hall of Fame. While Willis’ wait was a bit longer than others on this list, the LB gets into the Hall of Fame in his fifth year of eligibility.
Steve McMichael
Selected in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Steve “Mongo” McMichael didn’t have the most glamorous start to his career. After just one season, the Patriots released McMichael, who signed with Chicago shortly after.
McMichael spent 13 seasons in Chicago, starting in a franchise-record 191 games. As part of the legendary defense of the 1980s Bears, “Mongo” was a force to be reckoned with on the line. He’s a member of the Chicago Bears All-Time Team and one of the 100 greatest Bears of all time.
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A senior finalist in the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class, McMichael gets inducted in his 25th year of eligibility. His induction was a very overdue honor for a defensive tackle who was part of the heart of the legendary Bears defense.
Randy Gradishar
The final member of the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class is linebacker Randy Gradishar. He played in Denver for 10 seasons and was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 14th overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft. Gradishar was a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. He was also named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1978.
A member of the famous “Orange Crush” Broncos defense in the ’70s and ’80s, Gradishar had an unofficial total of 2,049 career tackles (tackles officially became a stat in 2001). That’s the most — unofficially — in Broncos franchise history and second in NFL history behind Hall of Fame LB Ray Lewis.
Gradishar is already a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Ohio State Hall of Fame, and the Broncos Ring of Fame. After 35 years of eligibility and being a finalist four times, Gradishar finally gets his gold jacket.