Lions, Chargers will kick off 2025 preseason in annual Hall of Fame game
The Detroit Lions will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the annual Hall of Fame game as part of Enshrinement Week.
The Hall announced the matchup for July 31 on Wednesday, with the Chargers playing just days before longtime tight end Antonio Gates will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gates will be joined by three other modern era candidates with Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe also getting inducted on Aug. 2, inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Lions will be designated as the home team for the game after going 15-2 last season before losing in the divisional round to Washington. The Chargers went 11-6 and made the playoffs as a wild-card team in coach Jim Harbaugh's first season.
"This game features two teams that can be considered legitimate contenders to reach Super Bowl LX next February," Jim Porter, president & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a statement. "For them to face each other right out of the gate in Canton, Ohio, should create a dynamic opening to another spectacular NFL season."
This will be the fourth trip to Canton for the Lions and the third for the Chargers. Detroit last played in the game in 1991, beating Denver 14-3. The last appearance for the Chargers in the Hall of Fame game was a 21-17 loss to Atlanta in 1994.
Tickets for the 2025 Hall of Fame game go on sale at 10 a.m. ET Monday, April 28.
The game will be broadcast by NBC.
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