Cardinals, Cowboys to meet in 2017 Hall of Fame Game

The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals have been announced as the matchup for the 2017 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

The annual game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium kicks off the NFL preseason, although in 2016 it was cancelled due to the unsafe conditions of the field. The field was “hard as concrete” and congealed paint on the field became tar-like, forcing the cancellation, so it’s likely that the NFL will do all that’s necessary to avoid a similar embarrassment one year later.

Typically, the Hall of Fame Game is played between teams that will have players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Included in the Class of 2017 are former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and current Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald both announced they will be back with the Cardinals for another season, but don’t expect to see them or many other stars play much in the preseason opener. That means even young players like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will likely stay sidelined for most, if not all, of the game.

Keeping players healthy through training camp and preseason is of the utmost importance, and playing in the Hall of Fame Game means both the Cardinals and Cowboys have an extra preseason game to handle with care.

The Hall of Fame Game usually wraps up Enshrinement Weekend, but this year it is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 3. The enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2017 will be two days later on Saturday, Aug. 5.