High Stakes in Canton: Lions and Chargers Start NFL Preseason

July 31, 2025: The Hall of Fame game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night will be the official opening of the NFL preseason. Both teams have high hopes for the new season and unfinished business after their last playoff runs ended in disappointment.

The Lions were Super Bowl favorites after winning 15 games and getting the No. 1 seed, but they lost in the playoffs. Still, they have a full roster with a lot of potential. Dan Campbell, the head coach, is starting his fifth season and talked about the long road ahead. “It’s a new season, it’s a new beginning,” Campbell said, making winning the division the main goal to “get back into the dance.” He said that there is a “price to be paid” to get back into the race and not be “sitting here at home in January.”

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The Chargers, led by new head coach Jim Harbaugh, also want to expand on a season that saw them win six more games before they lost in the playoffs. Harbaugh wants to bring the same kind of success to Los Angeles as he did to Michigan, where he led the team to a national title, and the San Francisco 49ers, where he led them to the Super Bowl in his second NFL season. The Chargers haven’t won a title since their 1963 AFL championship, and everyone is watching Harbaugh to see whether he can do it.

In the first game of the exhibition, neither team will be showing off their star power. Some of the Lions’ best offensive players, notably Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Penei Sewell, will not play. Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen will instead compete for the backup spot. Trey Lance will start at quarterback for the Chargers, but Justin Herbert and other veterans will also be on the sidelines. Coach Harbaugh said that Lance, who was the third overall pick, is on his third team and is seeking for meaningful game experience. DJ Uiagalelei, a rookie, is set to play in the second half, with Taylor Heinicke as the backup. The game is also the first for Detroit’s new coordinators, Offensive Coordinator John Morton and Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. Campbell says that this change will take time to completely develop.