NFL is back as Chargers-Lions Hall of Fame game kicks off preseason action

NFL football is back in action. Well, sort of. 

The Los Angeles Chargers will take on the Detroit Lions in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at 8 p.m. ET in Canton, Ohio.

It will be the first time since 2000 that an NFL preseason game will be played in the month of July.

Tight end Antonio Gates, a Chargers legend, will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, alongside cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. 

The Lions will be the game’s designated home team after they went 15-2 last season and were the NFC’s No. 1 seed. They were upset in stunning fashion by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round. 

Following the loss, both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for head coaching jobs. Johnson joined the Lions’ division rival, the Chicago Bears, while Glenn took the New York Jets’ head coaching position. 

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John Morton, who served as the Denver Broncos passing game coordinator the last two seasons, was hired to replace Johnson as offensive coordinator. Kelvin Sheppard, who spent the last three seasons as the Lions’ linebackers coach, was promoted to replace Glenn. 

As for the Chargers, they are coming off a campaign where they went 11-6 and made the playoffs in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season with the team. They lost in the Wild Card Round to the Houston Texans, a game in which quarterback Justin Herbert struggled mightily.

Over 17 regular-season games, Herbert threw just three interceptions, but in the Chargers’ 32-12 playoff loss, he tossed a career-high four interceptions. 

However, Herbert will not play on Thursday as Trey Lance and undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei will get the snaps. 

Lance played four games for the Dallas Cowboys last season and completed 61% of his passes for 266 yards and one interception. Uiagalelei played at three different colleges in his career: Clemson (2020-2022), Oregon State (2023), and Florida State (2024).

The Lions will have Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen as their quarterbacks in the exhibition game. 

Hooker was the Lions’ third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and appeared in three games last season. Allen spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is entering his first year with the Lions. 

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