The 2016 NFL preseason will begin with the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers facing off in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. ET in Canton, Ohio.
Colts and Packers to kick off 2016 preseason in Hall of Fame Game
Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison and Brett Favre will be inducted into the Hall of Fame the night before.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The Hall of Fame Game is the first matchup of the NFL preseason each year and it comes on the heels of the Saturday night enshrinement ceremony for that year's class. The league tries to match up teams that have former players and coaches being inducted into the Hall of Fame that weekend.
This year, the Colts will see former head coach Tony Dungy and wide receiver Marvin Harrison inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dungy led the Colts to a Super Bowl win following the 2006 season and is the winningest head coach in team history. He also bears the distinction of being the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Harrison was an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. His single-season record of 143 catches remains intact, though Julio Jones and Antonio Brown came close by finishing the 2015 season with 136 receptions each.
The Packers will celebrate the induction of longtime quarterback Brett Favre on Saturday evening. Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and was traded to the Packers following his rookie season. He took over the starting job four games into the 1992 season and started every game until he retired from the Packers in 2007. Favre led the Packers to two Super Bowls, winning one, and was an 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. He was also named the league's MVP in three consecutive seasons: 1995, 1996 and 1997.
Unlike other preseason games, which typically air in local markets, the Hall of Fame game airs nationwide. While NBC is often the broadcast home for the game, this year it will be aired on NFL Network because of NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics.
Both the Packers and the Colts have played in the Hall of Fame Game four times apiece, though they have never faced off against each other in this game. The Colts are 2-2 in Hall of Fame game appearances, while the Packers are 1-2-1. Two of Green Bay’s Hall of Fame Games ended early due to inclement weather.
The first HOF Game was played on Aug. 11, 1962, and ended in a 21-21 tie between the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 14-3, in last year's Hall of Fame Game.
See More:
