Chargers to Play in 2025 Hall of Fame Game Against Lions

Apr 23, 2025 at 09:00 AM

Eric Smith

Editorial Director

Get ready for an extra Chargers preseason game in 2025.

This one is in Canton, Ohio.

The Bolts announced Wednesday that they will play in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions. The game will be played on July 31 at 5 p.m. (PT) at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

With Chargers legend Antonio Gates part of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class, the Bolts were among the teams who made sense to play in the game.

This means the Chargers will have four preseason games in 2025. The Bolts will have one preseason game at home and two on the road in August. The rest of the Chargers preseason will be announced at a later date.

The Chargers will play in Brazil to open the 2025 season on Friday, September 5.

Gates will be honored on August 1 in Canton with the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner and also on August 2 with the Class of 2025 Enshrinement ceremony.

Gates' 116 career touchdown catches rank first among all tight ends and are seventh all-time in NFL history. Gates also holds the NFL record for multi-touchdown games by a tight end with 21.

Overall, Gates in the Chargers franchise leader in receptions (955), receiving yards (11,841) and those 116 touchdowns. He also played 236 total games for the Bolts, which ranks second all-time in franchise history.

Gates is also the 12th person associated with the Chargers to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a group that includes Dan Fouts, Junior Seau, LaDainian Tomlinson, Kellen Winslow and Don Coryell.

The Chargers last played in the Hall of Fame Game against Atlanta in 1994, a season that saw the Bolts go 11-5 and win the AFC to appear in Super Bowl XXIX.

The game marks the third time the Bolts are scheduled to play in the Hall of Fame Game, with the first time being in 1980, when the game against Green Bay was stopped in the fourth quarter due to severe thunder and lightning.

The 2025 Hall of Fame Game will air on NBC and Peacock with Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) serving as the broadcast team.