Already planned for an early kickoff to Week 1 in Brazil, the Chargers will get an early start to their preseason as they will face the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, the NFL announced Wednesday.
The game will take place July 31 at 5 p.m. PDT to mark the beginning of the NFL preseason. The Chargers will also honor former tight end Antonio Gates, who was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February.
Gates, the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown catches for a tight end and the Chargers’ franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, will enter the Hall of Fame with Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe in the smallest class in 20 years. The Class of 2025 will be enshrined on Aug. 2.
The Chargers have not participated in the Hall of Fame game since 1994 when they lost to the Atlanta Falcons.
After their three preseason games, the Chargers will begin the regular season on Friday, Sept. 5, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in just the second NFL regular-season game to be hosted in South America. The full schedule will be released in May.
