With just over a month left until the NFL regular season kicks off, football fans are gearing up for the 272 games spread over four months and 18 weeks of thrilling action. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Baltimore Ravens on September 5th, and the season will run until January 5th, culminating in the final Sunday night showdown. But first, the football drought of nearly six months will end with the Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, featuring two promising teams: the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual NFL preseason exhibition in Canton, Ohio, marking the beginning of the preseason and, arguably, the season as a whole. This year, the revamped Bears, who selected Caleb Williams as their new quarterback with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, face off against the formidable Texans, who added Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to an already talented and young roster. That’s good news, the bad news is that Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus announced today that the starters, including Williams, will not participate in the game.
Given the long wait, it’s safe to say that fans will be excited to watch any football, preseason or not. Following this game, the next one will be on Thursday, August 8th, officially kicking off the three-week preseason. In the future, we might see this reduced to two weeks as there are plans to add a regular-season game to the schedule, ideally removing one more preseason game.
Texans’ Season Outlook
The Texans are looking strong in the competitive AFC, having won their division with a 10-7 record. Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroudnow has a year of experience under his belt and will benefit from the addition of superstar Stefon Diggs. Diggs joins Nico Collins and Tank Dell, forming one of the best receiving groups in the league. The Texans also brought in Joe Mixon, the former Bengals running back, and defensive end Danielle Hunter from the Vikings, who had 16.5 sacks last season. Alongside Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., Hunter will be a formidable force against opposing offensive lines.
Bears’ Season Outlook
The Bears finished last in their division with a 7-10 record. Despite Justin Fields showing improvement, the opportunity to draft Caleb Williams with the first pick was too good to pass up, leading to Fields being traded to the Steelers. DJ Moore was a standout last season, and now, with the addition of veterans Keenan Allen and D’Andre Swift, the Bears have bolstered their offense to support their new franchise quarterback. The Hall of Fame Game is just the beginning, and football enthusiasts can’t wait for the action to start.