NFL Makes Its Return Thursday Night -- More Or Less

The NFL is back tonight! Oh my gosh, there's football tonight! 

So great.

Life is good.

Order restored. America is great again.

But, wait.

Hall Of Fame Game Not For Starters

You have to know that what the NFL is promising and what it is about to deliver may not be exactly the same thing.

Yes, the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears are playing in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday night. Yes, these are two very interesting teams because the Texans are expected to be Super Bowl contenders and the Bears have all of Chicago abuzz about the prospect that rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will lead the team back to postseason relevance.

But there are details you need to know.

Firstly, you're not going to see the Texans. At least not the real ones.

You're going to see the Texans backups, the reserves, playing in this game.

"With this first preseason game being an extra game for us, we’re really looking to see most of our young guys get out and compete, and see if they can take the things we’ve been teaching them daily from the field and take it and show up when the lights are on," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

"That’s main thing you’ll see in this first Hall of Fame game. You’ll see a lot of young guys, who are vying for a spot to make it in the NFL. It will be great to see those guys go out and compete."

Jul 29, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Now playing QB, Davis Mills

So to be clear: 

No C.J. Stroud at quarterback.

No receiver trio of Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

No Joe Mixon at running back.

And forget about Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter playing on defense.

What you are likely to get instead is … Davis Mills or Tim Boyle or Case Keenum at quarterback.

But even that's not certain.

"We haven’t been told any of our playing time," Mills said. "I’ll be ready if my number is called. Been putting in a lot of really good work with our players throughout training camp so far and OTAs and when I get my chance to go out there and perform, I’m ready and showcase all the guys around me. 

"It’s going to be fun."

Yes, thrills.

LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 06: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears practices during the Chicago Bears mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall on June 06, 2024 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Bears Also Resting Starters

The Bears, meanwhile, are similarly holding out their starters in this game.

No Caleb Williams. No Montez Sweat or DJ Moore.

So, not the Bears. More like the Cubs.

"Starters are not playing in the Hall of Fame Game," coach Matt Eberflus announced before the team made the trip to Canton. "We feel really good with where they are right now, in terms of the padded practices we had. 

"We've had three so far, and then we have another one [Wednesday] and have a lot of good work. Ones on ones, twos on twos, and a lot of good situations. We got a head start there because we are in the Hall of Fame game, which I think is very fortunate for us this year to be able to add those reps."

The NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame picked the Bears versus the Texans for the nationally televised game because the fan bases from those cities are expected in Canton for the induction of Andre Johnson, who played for the Texans, and Devin Hester and Steve McMichael, who played for the Bears, into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis and Randy Gradishar are also being inducted in the Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Cool.

There was also an obvious draw because both those teams seem interesting for 2024.

But that interest is actually going to be more about a ceremony held over the weekend and the play of Tyson Bagent starting at quarterback for the Bears.

Womp,  womp, womp.

The offense and defense line up to practice the new kickoff formations during the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

New NFL Kickoff On Display

You're going to have to be a true Bears or Texans observer -- interested in the training camp battles for backup spots – to be fully invested in this game at the start.

And the second half when you'll see players who likely won't be on the roster in September? You're either family of those players or a saint.

One area that will be of some interest is the debut of the new kickoff rules. 

The experimental, one-year change will be a topic of much discussion this preseason. It already has been that, actually. 

The new kickoff, meant to reintroduce excitement to kickoffs, packs both kickoff teams, except the kicker and returners, within a 10-yard area. So it is supposed to look more like a play from scrimmage.

But here's a secret: No team, and certainly not the Texans and Bears on Thursday night, are going to unveil whatever strategy they have concocted for the regular season in this preseason game.

So, yes, it will all look different. But it promises to be only a fundamental look at what you'll see when the regular season begins.

But, hey, it's football.

It's back in some form or fashion.