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Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2024 NFL preseason features Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans

Chris Beaven, Canton Repository
·4 min read

CANTON — The Chicago Bears will play the Houston Texans in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game to help kick off Enshrinement Week. The game will be at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 1, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Bears-Texans game opens the NFL’s 105th season in the city where the league was born and could feature the No. 1 overall pick in next month's 2024 draft. The broadcast partner for the game will be announced later this spring.

“This game features two teams that finished the 2023 season strong and have key pieces in place for 2024,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement released by the Hall. “Bears fans have always supported their Hall of Famers, and they can welcome three more who will be enshrined in Canton this year, while Texans fans can see the franchise’s first Hall of Famer up close as part of the game and Enshrinement Weekend. The Pro Football Hall of Fame could not be any more excited about this year’s matchup — and this year’s class.”

The 2024 Hall of Fame class features former Bears standouts Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers, and former Texans star receiver Andre Johnson. They will be enshrined at the stadium two days later as members of the Class of 2024 along with Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar and Patrick Willis.

The Texans reached the NFL playoffs by winning the AFC South last season, going 10-7 before beating the Cleveland Browns in an AFC wild-card game this past January and losing at the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. The Texans will be the visitors for the Hall of Fame Game and use the bench on the north sideline.

The Bears, winners of five of their last eight games in 2023 to finish 7-10, will be designated as the home team. They will use the bench on the south sideline of the stadium.

Bears running back Khalil Herbert is tackled by Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (51) in the first quarter, Sept. 25, 2022, in Chicago.
Bears running back Khalil Herbert is tackled by Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (51) in the first quarter, Sept. 25, 2022, in Chicago.

This will be the Bears’ sixth trip to Canton. The Texans’ lone appearance in the Hall of Fame Game came in 2002, before the franchise’s inaugural season.

Will Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels make his NFL preseason debut in Canton for the Hall of Fame Game?

The Bears currently own the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, via a trade with the Carolina Panthers. If the Bears, as expected, hang on to the selection, the No. 1 overall pick of the draft likely will make his pro debut in the Hall of Fame Game.

The last two Heisman Trophy winners, Caleb Williams of USC and Jayden Daniels of LSU, are expected to go 1-2 in the NFL Draft, which is April 25-27. Most mock drafts have the Bears taking Williams.

The Texans, as of now, do not have a first-round pick this year.

Canton McKinley graduate Dominique Robinson is on the Chicago Bears roster

Chicago Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson, a Canton McKinley High School graduate, speaks to the Bulldogs football team, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
Chicago Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson, a Canton McKinley High School graduate, speaks to the Bulldogs football team, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

Dominique Robinson, a McKinley High School graduate, has spent the last two seasons playing defensive end for the Chicago Bears. He was a fifth-round pick by the Bears in the 2022 draft. He's appeared in 28 career games, including 11 last season, making 36 total tackles with two sacks.

When do Bears vs. Texans Hall of Fame Game tickets go on sale?

Tickets for the 2024 Hall of Fame Game and Enshrinement go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. (ET) Friday, April 12. Fans can learn more about the matchup and purchase tickets at www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/.

Chicago Bears Hall of Fame Game scores, history

The Bears are 4-1 all-time in Hall of Fame Games, first appearing in Canton in 1968 and last playing here in 2018. This is Chicago's third appearance in the game since 2005.

  • 1968 – vs. Dallas Cowboys (W, 30-24)

  • 1977 – vs. New York Jets (W, 20-6)

  • 1990 – vs. Cleveland Browns (W, 13-0)

  • 2005 – vs. Miami Dolphins (W, 27-24)

  • 2018 – vs. Baltimore Ravens (L, 17-16)

Houston Texans Hall of Fame Game scores, history

The Houston Texans and the New York Giants are pictured at the line of scrimmage during the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on Aug. 5, 2002 in Canton.
The Houston Texans and the New York Giants are pictured at the line of scrimmage during the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on Aug. 5, 2002 in Canton.

The Texans first preseason game as a franchise, in 2002, was played at then Fawcett Stadium in a Hall of Fame Game.

  • 2002 – vs. New York Giants (L, 34-17)

2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week schedule

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week is a multi-day celebration each year in Canton welcoming the newest Hall of Fame class. Here's a look at this year's schedule of events:

  • Aug. 1: Hall of Fame Game (Texans vs. Bears)

  • Aug. 2: Fashion Show

  • Aug. 2: Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner

  • Aug. 3: Grand Parade

  • Aug. 3: Class of 2024 Enshrinement

  • Aug. 4: Enshrinees’ Roundtable

  • Aug. 4: Concert for Legends, featuring Carrie Underwood

Who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024?

This year's class features seven men — Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans is the 2024 Hall of Fame Game