NFL Announces National TV Schedule for Hall of Fame Game, 2025 Preseason Games

The NFL announced Thursday the schedule for the 2025 preseason games that will be nationally televised.

It starts with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, which will see the Los Angeles Chargers face the Detroit Lions on July 31 at 8 p.m. ET, exclusively on NBC.

There will also be two nationally televised games each in Week 2 and Week 3 of the preseason. The Chicago Bears will host the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17 on Fox, the Washington Commanders will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 18 on ESPN, the New York Giants will host the New England Patriots on Aug. 21 on Prime Video and the Tennessee Titans will host the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 22 on CBS.

The Hall of Fame Game has been played every year since 1962 with only a few exceptions, and this year's version will pit two 2024 NFL playoff teams against each other with the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the backdrop.

Despite going 15-2 and being the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Lions are coming off a disappointing 2024 campaign, as they were shocked by the Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Chargers went 11-6 and reached the playoffs in their first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, which marked a six-game improvement from 2023.

The Bills vs. Bears and Bengals vs. Commanders are intriguing matchups that will pit two of the league's best quarterbacks against two of the biggest up-and-coming stars at the position.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen won the NFL MVP Award last season for the first time, while Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Meanwhile, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a career year last season with 4,918 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns, and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Of course, there are no guarantees that Allen, Williams, Burrow or Daniels will play much or at all in those games.

In Week 3, a national audience figures to get a look at the two highest-drafted quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft.

When the Giants host the Patriots, No. 25 overall pick Jaxson Dart may receive significant playing time, especially if the plan is for him to begin the regular season as a backup to Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

Also, the Vikings vs. Titans game may feature the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft in quarterback Cam Ward, who is the new face of the franchise in Tennessee.

Additionally, all signs point toward 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy being the starting quarterback in Minnesota after he missed his entire rookie season due to injury.

Given his lack of experience at the NFL level, the Vikings may provide fans with a heavy dose of McCarthy in that Week 3 preseason game against the Titans.