NFL Returns Tonight With Hall of Fame Game

CANTON, OH — The NFL returns tonight with the Hall of Fame Game between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Lions and the Chargers match up tonight at 7 p.m. in Canton, Ohio at Tom Bensen Hall of Fame Stadium. You more than likely won’t see any starters play, but the backups will get plenty of playing time to state their case for a roster spot.

After a change made a few years ago, most teams only have three preseason games, but the Lions and Chargers get four, which gives those fringe/bubble guys an extra chance to make the team.

Almost everyone will say you have the majority of your roster in place with only a few spots open, but many teams have seen players blow up in the preseason and carry it over into the regular season.

Moving forward in the preseason, most starters won’t play with the exception of one or two drives in one game to shake off any rust.

The bigger draw will probably be the Hall of Fame induction of defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, and defensive back Eric Allen.

Jared Allen was born in Dallas, Texas but went to high school in California. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Carolina Panthers. He had four first-team All-Pro seasons, five Pro Bowl seasons, 136 career sacks, and holds two NFL records, one for most career safeties with four, and most safeties in a season with two.

Eric Allen was a second-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft out of Arizona State by the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders. Allen had 54 interceptions in his career and eight defensive touchdowns.

Gates was picked up as a rookie free agent in 2003 by the San Deigo Chargers and was a standout basketball player at Kent State. In his second season, Gates produced 81 catches for 964 yards and 13 TDs. He was on his way to putting up 11,841 yards on 955 receptions and 116 TDs.

Sharpe entered the NFL with high expectations being the seventh overall pick in the 1988 draft by the Green Bay Packers. Sharpe spent his entire career with the Packers and put up five 1,000-yard seasons, 595 receptions, 8,134 yards and 65 TDs, which includes 18 TDs in 1994.

The 2025 NFL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.