At the end of July, the Detroit Lions played the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Los Angeles Chargers, officially kicking off the 2025 NFL preseason in Canton, Ohio. The game drew more than 18,000 fans to the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.  

Canton, a small city in northeast Ohio about 60 miles south of Cleveland, is the birthplace of the American Professional Football Association. It was founded on Sept. 17, 1920, and is now known as the National Football League. In 1961, Canton was chosen by the NFL to build the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The original building broke ground the following year and opened its doors to visitors in 1963. Since its opening, the museum has gone through four expansions. 

The museum placed Lions- and Chargers-related artifacts on display in the lobby for fans of both teams. Notably, for the Lions, a leather helmet with metal face mask worn by Hall of Fame offensive lineman Lou Creekmur in the 1950s; a jersey Barry Sanders wore when he passed 2,000 yards rushing in the 1997 season; a helmet worn by Hall of Fame defensive back Dick LeBeau, and a game ball signed by current running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who became the first teammates in NFL history to total at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns each during their first 25 games together. 

Along with both teams, there were items and memorabilia for all four of the Class of 2025 Hall of Fame inductees, including Detroit native Antonio Gates. Gates attended Central High School in Detroit and played tight end for the San Diego Chargers, later the L.A. Chargers, for over 15 years. Â