Antonio Gates on transition from basketball to football, Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Famer, Detroiter Antonio Gates on his transition from basketball to football
The Detroit Lions will close the preseason with two Saturday afternoon games at Ford Field.
The Lions announced dates and times for their preseason schedule on May 20, including home games against the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans that were previously unknown.
They open exhibition play against the Los Angeles Chargers and Jim Harbaugh in the Hall of Fame game at 8 p.m. July 31 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, then visit the Atlanta Falcons at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in Week 1 of the preseason.
The Lions close the preseason with home games against the Dolphins on Aug. 16 and Texans on Aug. 23. Both games are 1 p.m. starts.
The Lions have just four 1 p.m. Sunday starts on their regular season schedule as they’ve become a major draw for television networks that carry the NFL. They play five primetime times on Thursday, Sunday or Monday night and have holiday games on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
One of the best teams in the NFL, the Lions have held their key starters out of most preseason action in recent years, opting instead to give them reps in joint practices.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said in March he hoped to do two sets of joint workouts this summer.
Hall of Fame Game, Thursday, July 31: Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m., NBCWeek 1, Friday, Aug. 8: at Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m., Lions TV NetworkWeek 2, Saturday, Aug. 16: vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Lions TV NetworkWeek 3, Saturday, Aug. 23: vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m., Lions TV NetworkWeek 1, Sunday, Sept. 7: at Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m., CBSWeek 2, Sunday, Sept. 14: vs Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., FoxWeek 3, Monday, Sept. 22: at Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABCWeek 4, Sunday, Sept. 28: vs Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., FoxWeek 5, Sunday, Oct. 5: at Cincinnati Bengals, 4:25 p.m., FoxWeek 6, Sunday, Oct. 12: at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m., NBCWeek 7, Monday, Oct. 20: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m., ESPN/ABCWeek 8: ByeWeek 9, Sunday, Nov. 2: vs Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., FoxWeek 10, Sunday, Nov. 9: at Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m., FoxWeek 11, Sunday, Nov. 16: at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m., NBCWeek 12, Sunday, Nov. 23: vs New York Giants, 1 p.m., FoxWeek 13, Thursday, Nov. 27: vs Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m., FoxWeek 14, Thursday, Dec. 4: vs Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., PrimeWeek 15, Sunday, Dec. 14: at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., FoxWeek 16, Sunday, Dec. 21: vs Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m., CBSWeek 17, Thursday, Dec. 25: at Minnesota Vikings, 4:30 p.m., NetflixWeek 18, Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3-4: at Chicago Bears, TBD
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.