2025 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Class And The NFL’s Preseason Kickoff

CANTON, OH – AUGUST 01, 2024: The Hall of Fame logo is displayed at midfield prior to last year’s NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

An eventful few days of football lie ahead as the NFL kicks off the 2025 preseason with its annual Hall of Fame Game tonight. This exhibition game precedes the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, which takes place on Saturday. The week of festivities celebrates the league’s history, previews the upcoming season, and honors the newest inductees for their achievements. Here is a brief look at the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL’s preseason tradition, along with a spotlight on this year’s inductees, their achievements, and the dynamics of the 2025 Hall of Fame Game.

Story Behind the Hall of Fame and It’s Game

Canton is the ideal location to host the Pro Football Hall of Fame and this week’s activities because the roots of the NFL began in this Ohio city. In 1920, Ralph E. Hay, former owner of the now-defunct Canton Bulldogs, organized a meeting that took place at the auto showroom in his Jordan and Hupmobile dealership in Canton. Pioneers such as George Halas and Jim Thorpe were in attendance to discuss the future of professional football. From that meeting, the American Professional Football Association (APFA) was established, consisting of 14 teams, many of which were from the Midwest. Two years later, the APFA became the NFL.

In 1962, the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Game made its debut, originally a fundraising effort to support the construction of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first matchup between New York Giants and the St. Louis (since relocated to Arizona) Cardinals ended in a 21-21 tie. The inaugural Hall of Fame members were inducted the following year. This initial class included legends such as George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Red Grange, Sammy Baugh, Jim Thorpe, and twelve others.

Meet the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025

There will be four inductees this weekend: wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, tight end Antonio Gates, defensive end Jared Allen, and cornerback Eric Allen. While none of the four selections had the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl, they all made major contributions during their eras and performed at an elite level.

Sterling Sharpe played only seven seasons in the NFL before suffering a career-ending neck injury. However, this statement does not fully capture his impact and dominance as a wide receiver during the 1990s. He led the NFL in receptions three times, had the most receiving touchdowns twice, and was named a first team All-Pro three times. In a 2022 Club Shay Shay interview, Deion Sanders, widely regarded as the best cover cornerback during that era, brought up the difficulty of defending Sharpe due to his size and strength. In a show of respect, Sanders said, “If you back off him and he’s going to catch a hitch, then who’s going to tackle him? And then you get up there where he can grab you and he’s getting any slant he wants.”

There are few athletes who have reached the NFL without playing college football. Antonio Gates was a college basketball player at Kent State University. Along with Tony Gonzalez, Gates helped redefine the tight end position in the 2000s. He was a 6-foot-8 inch hybrid who was difficult to defend because of his size and route running. In 2017, former teammate Drew Brees referred to Gates as “the example by which every other tight end would want to run their routes,” highlighting his development in an ESPN feature. For over a decade, he was the consummate go-to-guy for the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers, catching 116 touchdowns and being named to three All-Pro first teams.

Having spent the majority of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, Jared Allen led the NFL in sacks twice and was an All-Pro first team selection four times. He had a special ability to get to the quarterback, as evidenced by his 136 career sacks and double digit sack totals for seven straight seasons (2007-2013). In a 2022 Pioneer Press article celebrating Allen’s inclusion in the Vikings’ Ring of Honor, Hall of Fame Vikings defensive end Carl Eller highlighted Allen’s high motor and craftiness, stating, “He wasn’t a big guy so he couldn’t overpower guys. He would just maneuver and get by the offensive guys and make a sack.”

From 1988 to 2001, Eric Allen was one of the NFL’s top playmakers in the secondary, intercepting an impressive 54 passes and returning eight of them for touchdowns. His clutch play was also showcased in the playoffs, where he had a pivotal pick-six while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 1993 Wild Card matchup against the New Orleans Saints, a team he would later join. Former teammate Charles Woodson fondly recalled that during Allen’s third season with the Raiders, he intercepted six passes and returning three for touchdowns. Woodson stated, “Eric was a student of the game. For him to make those kind of plays in his mid-30s, that shows you what a Hall of Famer looks like,” according to Raiders.com.

What about this Year’s Game?

The 2025 Hall of Fame game will feature the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers, two playoff teams from last season.

Coming off consecutive division titles, the Lions lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators in the offseason. Ben Johnson became the head coach of the Chicago Bears, while Aaron Glenn was hired as the new head coach of the New York Jets. Under Johnson, the Lions fielded top 5 offenses over the last three seasons. Their defense was in the top 10 in points allowed last season. It will be interesting to see how both units respond this season after the changes.

Jim Harbaugh is entering his second season as the head coach of the Chargers. In his first season, the Chargers reached the playoffs as a wild card team. Their first round draft pick, running back Omarion Hampton from North Carolina, is expected to get his first professional snaps in the game. Backup quarterback and former third overall pick Trey Lance will get the start, who signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason.

Both the Lions and Chargers enter this season with high expectations and hope to make deep playoff runs.