The 2023 NFL season will officially kick off at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, August 3, 2023, with the Hall of Fame game played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
Though we know the individuals who are in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023, we do not yet know what teams will play in the Hall of Fame game.
There are two teams who are emerging as the leading contenders to face off in the game.
They are as follows:
1. New York Jets
Former New York Jets players Darrelle Revis and Joe Klecko are members of the HOF Class of 2023.
Since the origin of the Hall of Fame game in 1962, the Jets have only appeared in it one time in 1977.
They lost to the Chicago Bears by the score of 20-6.
We may learn if the Jets are selected to play in the game before we actually find out who the Jets QB1 will be for 2023.
It could be Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, or a player to be named later.
2. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns also seem to be a shoo-in to play this game.
Joe Thomas, the Browns’ legendary offensive tackle and fan-favorite player, is being inducted in the first year of his eligibility.
Canton is about 50 miles from Cleveland so the Browns fans will probably be the predominant fans in attendance for the weekend’s festivities.
The Browns have only played in the Hall of Fame game one previous time, and that was 60 years ago in 1963 when the Browns were defeated by the Steelers by the score of 16-7.
Is There A Hall Of Fame Game Curse?
Teams may not be eager to play in the game because no team has ever won both the Hall of Fame game and the Super Bowl in the same season.
That sounds like a record meant to be broken just as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed history in 2021 by winning the Super Bowl in their home stadium, a trend that was repeated in 2022 by the Los Angeles Rams.
Perhaps 2023 is when the Hall of Fame curse is erased, Jets and Browns fans will hope so if their teams are selected to play the game.
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