Pro Football Hall of Fame Game 2016: Packers vs. Colts Date, Time, TV Schedule

Another NFL season is upon us, and it will begin the way it always does.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, is set to welcome a new class of inductees, and it will also welcome the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts as they kick off the preseason at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

ESPN will televise the game nationally.

The matchup between the Packers and Colts is appropriate. Longtime Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is one of the HOF inductees, as are former Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy and wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

Favre was a spectacular leader for the Packers, and he also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. Favre holds the NFL record with 321 consecutive starts. Dungy became the first African-American head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. He also coached for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFL Network congratulated Dungy on Twitter:

Harrison's ability to get open and make key catches was vital to the Colts' success under Dungy. 

Kevin Greene, Orlando Pace, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Ken Stabler and Dick Stanfel are also being inducted into the Canton shrine.

The opening preseason game is not a vital event when it comes to assessing a team's play for the upcoming season, but don't tell Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy or Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano that it's not important.

While starters are not likely to play more than a series or two on either side of the ball, rookies, depth players and reserves will have an opportunity to assert themselves and make their case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

In the case of several second- and third-team players, preseason games can be more important than any regular-season game. Players who win roster spots with one or two outstanding preseason performances can potentially earn lofty salaries in the NFL down the line.

Coaches are not worried about guaranteeing a player's income. They are more concerned with making sure they have sufficient depth and talent for the upcoming season.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The Packers may be looking at playing their third- and fourth-string quarterbacks against the Colts. Starter Aaron Rodgers had a scheduled day off Thursday, according to Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Since backup Brett Hundley is out with an injury, it seems likely that Joe Callahan and Marquise Williams will be under center for most of the game against the Colts, according to Wood.

The Colts could get a long look at second-round draft pick T.J. Green, a safety who runs a 4.34-second 40-yard dash. The 6'3", 205-pounder is getting a chance to play quite a bit as a result of Clayton Geathers' foot injury, and the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder reported the rookie has performed well in practice.

It's the first game of the preseason, and coaches are not ready to make final decisions on which players will make the roster. However, Callahan, Williams and Green will have opportunities to make their first impressions in game action, which could go a long way for each of those players.