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First NFL Matchup Announced; Hall of Fame Game to Take Place August 1st

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Andrew Kusleika  |  Last updated 3/26/24

The Hall of Fame Game, or the first matchup of the NFL preseason, was announced to be taking place between the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears.

Houston Texans legendary wide receiver Andre Johnson will be getting inducted into Canton this year. Johnson is the first player in Texans history to be selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Bears will extend their lead as the team with the most Pro Football Hall of Famers as return specialist Devin Hester, defensive tackle Steve McMichael and defensive end Julius Peppers will all enter as a part of the 2024 class. The game will take place on Aug 1.

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans expressed his excitement with being the first glimpse of NFL action to take place in the 2024 season in an article from Click2Houston.

“It’s exciting playing in the Hall of Fame game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said at the NFL owners meetings. “I think the credit goes to Andre Johnson for him getting selected, the first Texan to be selected to into the Hall of Fame. For us to go up as a team to support Andre in the Hall of Fame game, the first time as an organization playing in the Hall of Fame game, I think it’s exciting to really kick off the 2024 season with our team being in the forefront.”

Many will want to watch the Chicago Bears and their No. 1 overall pick take on the Houston Texans

The Chicago Bears, who recently traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, will more than likely take USC Trojans prospect Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.  The Bears sent a large contingency to Williams’ Pro Day in Los Angeles, and Williams has been the consensus No. 1 overall prospect for the last two years of his college career.

Williams has generated a lot of controversy with the way he has approached the pre-draft process. He refused to undergo medical examination at the NFL Scouting Combine along with refusing to participate in any of the drills.

Bears and NFL fans alike will be eager to see the first glimpse of what could be Chicago’s best chance to lock in a franchise quarterback. If Williams manages to throw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a season, he will have the greatest season by any quarterback in Chicago Bears history.

With the addition of playmakers like running back DeAndre Swift and veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, many will be eager to see what the Bears can accomplish in 2024. The Hall of Fame Game will give football fans a glimpse into what that will be.

The Houston Texans showed promise with a first-year QB in 2023; The Hall of Fame Game against the Chicago Bears will show how they’ve improved

Houston and quarterback C.J. Stroud will be looking to capitalize on a season that was way ahead of schedule in terms of a rebuild.

A rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback led the Texans to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs after a blowout win over the Cleveland Browns in the first round. Their 10-7 record was their best winning percentage since quarterback Deshaun Watson was at the helm in 2019.

The Texans made a plethora of offseason acquisitions, making them a desirable team to watch in the first preseason matchup of the year. They acquired tight end Dalton Shultz and running back Joe Mixon along with several defensive playmakers to round out their roster.

As one of the most surprising teams of 2023, many fans will likely tune in to see what’s in store for the Texans in 2024.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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