WHERE: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio)
WHEN: 8 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes
The long wait is (kind of) over!
Football is officially back on Thursday in all its preseason glory.
As is tradition, the NFL will gear up for the weekend's upcoming enshrinement ceremony with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game -- this year between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.
The two teams are set to square off due to their representatives, Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson and Chicago return specialist Devin Hester and defensive tackle Steve McMichael, entering Canton's hallowed halls alongside Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers (also a Bear for four seasons), Patrick Willis and Randy Gradishar as the class of 2024.
The weekend will ultimately belong to those past greats, but there are still plenty of other storylines to dive into. The Texans enter the season looking to show staying power as contenders coming off a surprise turnaround and AFC Divisional Round berth, while the Bears are hoping to emulate Houston's worst-to-first formula in the NFC North after making major moves this spring.
Both squads will take the next step in their respective journeys under the lights of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Here are four things to watch for when the Texans and Bears meet Thursday night:
- Houston’s deep WR well. Although head coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn’t provide a name-by-name list this week of who will suit up, he stressed giving younger players an extended opportunity. That likely rules out a look at the Texans’ big three at wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, all together, but Houston has plenty of other talented pass catchers worth tuning in for. Principle among them is John Metchie III, now another year removed from overcoming a leukemia diagnosis his rookie season. He’ll try to take another step along with Xavier Hutchinson, who had eight catches in 2023 for Houston, and Ben Skowronek, who had eight catches in 2023 for the Los Angeles Rams before getting traded this offseason. There’s also veteran Noah Brown, plus if 32-year-old Robert Woods receives a higher-than-expected snap count, he might be on bubble watch.
- Waldron effect. With Caleb Williams and his fellow starters sitting out, the focus takes a more general view. Shane Waldron has come over to Chicago to serve as offensive coordinator after spending three years in the same role for the Seattle Seahawks. Teams usually keep things vanilla in preseason, both to avoid tipping their hand and because players are getting their feet wet, but we should still be able to get a better feel for how Waldron’s scheme differs from that of his predecessor, Luke Getsy. One big priority? Restoring balance after the Bears placed second in the NFL in rush attempts and 27th in pass attempts last season. Quarterback Tyson Bagent will be first up to facilitate Waldron’s vision.
- Rookies, position battlers make their case. First-year players and those in competition will get a chance to take center stage early thanks to Houston and Chicago’s extra preseason game. For the Texans, that means possibly seeing what cornerback Kamari Lassiter can do in his initial game action. The No. 42 overall pick came pro-ready from Georgia and has already received rave reviews. There are also a number of veteran names like Jeff Okudah, C.J. Henderson and Mike Ford trying to gain traction in the CB room during their introductory seasons with the Texans. Bears fans should be treated to the big boot of surprise fourth-round punter Tory Taylor, and they might also form an inkling as to who leads the all-important battle at center between Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton.
- Kicking off the kickoff. The NFL's new kickoff rule will debut at long last. The format, currently approved on a one-year trial basis, packs all members of the kicking and receiving teams (except the kicker and returners) within a 10-yard zone down the field. It is meant to reintroduce excitement to a play that has sorely lacked it in recent years, and there's little doubt we could witness some as Houston and Chicago work out the kinks. Velus Jones seems a natural fit to take advantage for the Bears, as the third-year pro has yet to develop offensively but has proven a dangerous blur on special teams. The Texans possess a few options to choose from this season -- Tank Dell, Steven Sims and Desmond King -- but Dameon Pierce might be the most interesting who could flash Thursday if he gets a chance. While he struggled in the backfield during his sophomore campaign, Pierce averaged 32.1 yards per return with a touchdown on seven attempts fielding kicks.
