Bears-Texans play in Hall of Fame Game
Football is back.
Well, it’s only preseason action. But it’s something for fans to help fill the pigskin void.
Tonight, the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans square off in the Hall of Fame Game at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The game kicks off the NFL’s 105th season and is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus has already confirmed that rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the team’s starters won’t play. Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, will have to wait to make his first NFL appearance.
For the Texans, coach DeMeco Ryans is keeping his decision in house as long as he could whether second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud will play. However, he finally announced Stroud will sit out.
So, what could have been a matchup of young, top-tier quarterbacks turns into a battle of backups. The Bears will most likely go with Tyson Bagent under center, while Davis Mills should get the nod for the Texans.
Both the Bears and Texas have plenty position battles that will take center stage tonight. The Bears are trying to figure out who will be the starting center between Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton. The Texans are looking to see who emerges as their second starting cornerback opposite Derek Stingley Jr. Former Detroit Lion Jeff Okudah, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, is in the running.
The rest of the NFL teams will play their first preseason games Aug. 8-10.
The regular-season opener for the league will be Sept. 5 when the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
