The NFL will kick off the 2025 preseason Thursday night, July 31, with the annual Hall of Fame Game. The hope is that the healing process will also begin after a shooting at the league’s headquarters in New York City left four people dead on Monday.
How has the league been affected by the shooting?
The tragedy is still affecting league operations as the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, two playoff teams from 2024, headline a weekend of festivities at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Employees at the NFL’s headquarters in New York are working remotely through at least next week, as the league’s offices remain closed following the tragedy. Over the last two days at NFL training camps, the message has been the same. Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam called the violence “senseless.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families who have lost their loved ones, and we also honor the police man that died in the line of duty,” Dee Haslam said. “And our prayers are with the ones that are injured.”
What are coaches and league executives saying?
Several coaches, including Andy Reid in Kansas City, Raheem Morris in Atlanta and Aaron Glenn in New York, mentioned the shooting before their weekly press conferences.
“I wish it was a better morning,” Glenn said. “The thing that happened yesterday at the league office, man, just as an organization, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families. It’s always tough to hear things like that and, really to try to stay focused. You have to because you have a job to do, but you think about the families that go through that, and it’s tough, it’s tough.”
The NFL vowed to be resilient in a statement posted on social media Wednesday, July 30.
“We honor the four innocent lives lost, including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, whose heroism will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with the survivors as they begin the difficult journey of physical and emotional recovery. The NFL family is resilient and united, and together, we will find strength in one another as we heal.”
What to look for in Thursday’s game
Both teams will use the opening exhibition game to take a look at some of their young players. The Chargers will start Trey Lance, who is battling to be the third-string quarterback. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton will take his first snaps in the NFL. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked which he’d like to see more of on Thursday: better execution, or more effort.
“They’re both important, really,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, it’s like a carpenter. What’s more important, the hammer or the saw or the tape measure? I mean, they’re all pretty darn important. But yeah, those that can just go out there and have at it, I’d also put in that high level of what I’m looking for.”
The Lions’ season ended in a disappointing loss to the Washington Commanders last year, and they lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs. Defensive boss Aaron Glenn is now with the Jets, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took the head coach job in Chicago.
Why is it a big moment for younger players?
There’s also a chance for some up-and-coming players to make their mark. None of the Lions’ starters will play Thursday, but it’s a big moment for quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen battling for the backup job. Allen was asked what a successful outing would look like.
“Just play, just playing a good, clean game,” Allen said. “Executing football. Nothing crazy. Same thing I do every day out here at practice. Just show up, execute the plays that are called, do my job. That’s it.”
Hooker, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury, didn’t seem too stressed about being in the spotlight either.
“Another day at the office,” Hooker said. “So, keeping the main thing the main thing, controlling what I can control and having fun. You know, it’s a game at the end of the day. So, coming out and enjoying myself and playing at a high level is what I strive to do every day.”
The NFL’s big weekend continues Saturday, Aug. 2, in Canton when four players are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Defensive back Eric Allen, pass rusher Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and receiver Sterling Sharpe will join an exclusive club of 371 members.
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Author: Chris Francis
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