2024 Hall of Fame Game Will Matter Most to These Bears Players

The Chicago Bears are headed to Canton for the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans. The Bears are a logical choice for this year’s preseason kickoff, as team legends Devin Hester, Steve “Mongo” McMichael, and Julius Peppers will be enshrined.

The Hall of Fame game marks the first preseason game of the NFL season. Starters typically don’t play in this game, so don’t expect to see newly arrived Keenan Allen on the field. However, there are still players and storylines worth monitoring as the summer approaches.

Let’s take a look at three of those Bears.

The Quarterback

Spoiler Alert: the Bears will select Caleb Williams first overall in the upcoming draft, and he will be their starting quarterback in 2024. But, again, starters usually don’t play in the Hall of Fame Game. Williams might be an exception.

Could Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron hold him out of a “meaningless” game along with the other starters? That’s possible, but they could also want the rookie to get some early reps of live action, even if it’s against backups. Bears fans would no doubt love a sneak peek of their new quarterback.

Even if Williams doesn’t play, Bears fans should pay close attention to whoever is under center. Returning fan favorite Tyson Bagent acquitted himself well as an undrafted rookie in four starts last season. With more experience under his belt, he should put on quite a show against backups and third-stringers in the preseason, should he get the start.

Noah Sewell

Sewell was one of my favorite players in the 2023 NFL draft. I was happy to see him land in Chicago but quickly realized that we would almost never see him play. As usual, the Bears are loaded at the linebacker position, and there’s no room for a mid-round rookie to crack the lineup.

The Hall of Fame game will give Sewell a prime opportunity to get some NFL tape and prove he could be a starter in this league if given a chance, even if it won’t come in Chicago.

Tyler Scott

With DJ Moore and Keenan Allen on the bench, Tyler Scott will likely be a starting wide receiver for this game, which is good for him. His rookie season was a bit of a disappointment as it was remembered more for key drops than any positive plays, and he never found the endzone.

Playing in the Hall of Fame game will give Scott a chance to prove he won’t be defined by his rookie season and that he’s ready for a larger role in Shane Waldron’s offense. His opportunity will come, he just needs to seize it.