5 things to expect from NFL Hall of Fame Game
The NFL's Hall of Fame game is only a couple of weeks away. The game will be on August 5, 2021 and will kick off the NFL preseason and, by extension, the NFL season. Here are five things to expect from the first NFL game in about six months.
NFL's Hall of Fame game expectations
#1 - Hall of Famers will be in attendance
As the name suggests, the game is about more than simply kicking off football. The game is about the history and the induction of the new class of players deemed worthy enough to be remembered as all-time greats.
Peyton Manning, John Lynch, and Charles Woodson are expected to be in attendance in addition to the other players selected to be added to the Hall of Fame this year.
#2 - Steelers vs Cowboys
This year's teams selected to play the traditional kickoff game are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. With one less preseason game this year, it will be interesting to see if the Hall of Fame game will see more starters than usual. That said, generally, the Hall of Fame game is usually played by players deep on the depth chart.
#3 - No Prescott or Roethlisberger
Almost always, teams will elect to keep their players healthy by not participating in a game that has no impact on playoff seeding. The first preseason game of the year will usually not even feature a backup quarterback. Third-string players competing for a backup spot will usually play this game.
#4 - Few starters across the roster
As a general rule, there will be no sighting of starters in the Hall of Fame game. This means there will be no Amari Cooper, Juju Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Najee Harris, Ezekiel Elliot, CeeDee Lamb, or others deemed important to either team.
That said, since the NFL preseason has been shortened by a game this year, there may be a slightly higher chance of seeing a few lower-tier starters in the game for a couple of plays.
#5 - Dwayne Haskins versus Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci
Don't expect the Steelers to even risk their backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. Dwayne Haskins will likely get the majority of the game to prove something. Meanwhile, expect to see a mix of backups Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci.
The Cowboys are far from solidified at backup quarterback so they will likely be using the Hall of Fame game to get an extended look at both players to help make a decision.