Football is back! Every NFL team is beginning their training camp, but the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game will officially kick off live football action. The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans, both of which have some franchise legends entering the Hall of Fame this year, will play each other in the first NFL game of the season: The Hall of Fame Game.

After an exciting offseason, fans have long awaited the return of football. In this article, we will detail everything you need to know about the Hall of Fame Game as well as Enshrinement Week, which will see some of the NFL’s biggest legends be inducted into the Hall of Fame and immortalized in football glory.

What is the Hall of Fame Game?

The first preseason game of the year takes place a week before any other games are played. That game is the Hall of Fame Game, and this year it is between the Bears and the Texans. Both teams are among the best young, up-and-coming teams in football. Chicago just reloaded their roster with tons of playmakers to surround their rookie quarterback. The team drafted Caleb Williams first overall. The USC product was considered one of the best prospects in recent memory.

The Bears surrounded their rookie signal-caller with weapons, including fellow first-round receiver Rome Udunze and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen. The Bears are now set up to succeed for years to come, and the Hall of Fame Game will be the first chance for fans to see the new players in blue and orange.

Chicago is looking for the type of season-to-season jump that their opponent experienced last year. The Texans went from a three-win team to a playoff team that will likely contend for a Super Bowl this year. Houston’s quarterback, C.J. Stroud, had one of the best rookie seasons ever, and Caleb Williams surely took notes on how Stroud was able to make such a big impact right away.

The Hall of Fame Game is bigger than just starting the NFL season, though. The game ushers in Enshrinement Week, a week dedicated to celebrating the best talent to come through the NFL. The Bears, who have a massive Hall of Fame class this year, will be appearing in the Hall of Fame game for the sixth time, which will be the second most in the NFL. Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Steve McMichael are all former Bears set to get a bust in Canton, Ohio.

The Texans will be playing in the Hall of Fame Game for the second time. The only other time they played in the game was during their debut season in 2002. They lost to the New York Giants by a score of 34-17 back then. Andre Johnson, Houston’s best offensive player ever, is the Texan set to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

How to watch Bears vs. Texans

The Bears vs. Texans game will be the first preseason game of the year and will start off Enshrinement Week. The game itself is at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1. The game will be on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes. You can also live stream the game with fuboTV. The NFL’s Hall of Fame Village is located in Canton, Ohio, and the venue for the game will be the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Date: Thursday, Aug. 1 | Time: 8 p.m. ET

Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium — Canton, Ohio

TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)

Enshrinement Week

In addition to the Hall of Fame Game itself on Aug. 1, Enshrinement Week will feature plenty more events to honor the incoming class of inductees.

• Autograph Session — Thursday, Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. ET
• Rock the Turf — Thursday, Aug. 1 at 3 p.m. ET
• Pro Football Hall of Famer Walk & Photo Op — Friday, Aug. 2 at 10:30 a.m. ET
• Enshrinee’s Gold Jacket Dinner — Friday, Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. ET
• The Grand Parade — Saturday, Aug. 3 at 8 a.m. ET
• Rock the Turf — Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m. ET
• 2024 Hall of Fame class Enshrinement — Saturday, Aug. 3 at 12 p.m. ET
• Concert for Legends (featuring Carrie Underwood) — Sunday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. ET

2024 NFL Hall of Fame class

Dwight Freeney: Edge, 2002-2017

Dwight Freeney was one of the premier edge rushers of the 2000s. Although he ended up playing for six teams, he is most known for his time with the Indianapolis Colts, the team he was drafted by in the first round and that he stayed with through 2012. While Peyton Manning’s offense got a lot of attention on those Colts teams, Freeney held it down on the defensive end.

Freeney formed one half of an incredible pass-rushing duo alongside Robert Mathis. Freeney ended his career with 125.5 sacks and 299 solo tackles. He made seven Pro Bowls and led the NFL in sacks in 2004.

Randy Gradishar: Linebacker, 1974-1983

The Denver Broncos, who were underrepresented in the Hall of Fame for years, have had a surge of franchise legends inducted into the Hall of Fame in recent seasons. Randy Gradishar, who spent his entire career with the organization, is one such player.

Gradishar was a hard-hitting middle linebacker and the leader of the Orange Crush defense, one of the most feared defenses in the Super Bowl era. Gradishar was a sure tackler, and he even ended up winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1978, and year after he led Denver to their first Super Bowl appearance.

Devin Hester: Returner/Receiver, 2006-2016

Devin Hester is the greatest return man in the history of the NFL. The returner who had his best days with the Chicago Bears returned 14 punts for a touchdown. He scored five additional touchdowns on kickoff returns. He spent a little of time being used as a weapon on offense, but he will forever be remembered for the damage he could do on special teams. Kicking out of bounds or for a touchback was usually smarter than kicking in the direction of Hester.

Andre Johnson: Receiver, 2003-2016

The Houston Texans are the youngest team in the NFL, but they immediately found a star in Andre Johnson. The big-bodied receiver holds every pass-catching record in franchise history, including 1,012 receptions, 13,597 receiving yards, and 64 receiving touchdowns.

Johnson twice led the league in receiving yards and receptions, and he made seven Pro Bowls. The Texans weren’t great their first handful of years in the NFL, but things would have been nightmarish without Johnson.

Steve McMichael: Defensive Tackle, 1980-1994

Steve McMichael was a key piece on the ’85 Bears, the best defensive team in NFL history. The big man in the middle racked up 838 solo tackles and 95 sacks during his career, elite numbers for an interior defensive lineman. Overall, McMichael was selected to an All-Pro team five different times.

Julius Peppers: Defensive End, 2002-2018

Julius Peppers was the rare player who found success on multiple different franchises. He started his career with the Carolina Panthers, where he became the team’s all-time sack leader (97). The defensive end added another 37.5 sacks to his resume when he joined the Bears.

Peppers got the quarterback down an additional 25 times in Green Bay with the Packers despite not joining the team until he was 34. Peppers went back to Carolina for his final two seasons before he retired after his age-38 season. The durability Peppers had and the longevity that kept him in the league paid off, as he finished fourth all-time in sacks with 159.5. The 266 games he played in are the sixth most ever for a defensive player.

Patrick Willis: Linebacker, 2007-2014

The only thing holding Patrick Willis’ resume back is the fact he retired young. Even so, he made a huge impact in the eight years he was in the league. During that time, the San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker was the best player at his position in the league, and that was enough to warrant a spot in the Hall of Fame.

He racked up 950 career tackles en route to being voted First Team All-Pro more times (five) than he wasn’t. Willis anchored a great San Francisco defense and was incredible in stopping the run.