Who are the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame inductees? How to watch the ceremony on TV and stream online

There are just hours left in the countdown until football returns to our lives as we anxiously await kickoff to the Hall of Fame Game from Canton, Ohio. While the game will commence the NFL’s preseason, the real cause for celebration in Canton will be the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Canton, Ohio to host HoF weekend

The Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will begin the weekend full of festivities from football’s holiest ground, but that will be the appetizer to an enshrinement ceremony taking place from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The lead up to the ceremony will feature parades, a gold jacket dinner and even a fashion show.

The main event will take place on Saturday afternoon when seven NFL legends will be be presented with their busts in front of a packed stadium full of faithful fans. The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into football history at 12 p.m. ET, and ESPN will bring you the television coverage, and ESPN+ will have the online stream. You can also use Fubo.tv to watch the Hall of Fame ceremony.

It’s a defense heavy class being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney and Patrick Willis headline those who will receive their gold jackets that will forever unite them to the biggest and best legends of the game. While many of the players have only recently retired, there is one legend who has been waiting an awfully long time for his gold jacket. Randy Gradishar who retired in 1983 will finally get the credit many in and out of Denver Broncos nation feel he deserves.

Dwight Freeney (2002-17)

Freeney spent more than a decade with the Indianapolis Colts, and was knows as one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league. He was an undersized defensive end that used his speed, and agility to earn three selections to the NFL All-Pro first team. His patented spin move was nearly unstoppable and helped him end his career with 51 sacks forced 47 fumbles and a Super Bowl title with the Colts in 2006.

Julius Peppers (2002-16)

A dual sport athlete at the University of North Carolina, Peppers was a freak of nature. He was 6′6″ nearly 300 pounds of all muscle entering the league and he would become one of the most physically imposing, and dominant pass rushers the game had ever seen. Pepper was a staple of longevity at the defensive end position, registering 10 or more sacks in 10 of his 17 seasons and was named to nine Pro Bowls while making three All-Pro first teams before being named to the All-Decade in the 2000s.

Devin Hester (2006-16)

Name a better kick/punt returner than Devin Hester. You can’t. It’s impossible. Hester was a return mastermind, constantly gave the Chicago Bears excellent field position when he wasn’t taking those returns all the way to the house. As a receiver Hester was electric in the screen game where he got to read blocks and get down the field in a hurry but he is in the Hall of Fame for his ability to return kicks and punts. He ended his career with 19 regular season touchdown returns, 14 punts, and five kickoffs. While they were all spectacular, his TD return to open Super Bowl XLI will go down as one of his most memorable.

Patrick Willis (2007-14)

The linebacker spent his entire 14 year career with the San Francisco 49ers and made an immediate impact in the Bay after being drafted out of Ole Miss in 2007. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year and never looked back. He was named a first team All-Pro five times and lead the league in solo tackles and combined tackles in 2007 and 2009. Willis made the All-Decade Team for the 2010s despite playing just half of that decade. He was forced to retire due to a toe injury, but he was one of the most consistent and feared players in the league for the eight seasons he did play.

Steve McMichael (1980-1994)

Injuries hampered McMichael’s start in the league, so much so that he played just six games his rookie season with the Patriots. New England would release the defensive tackle but he would become a mainstay on the Chicago Bears defensive line which was considered one of the best in the history of the NFL. He ended his career with 95 sacks, two first team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl on the 1985 Chicago Bears team that is still one of the best teams off all time.

Andre Johnson (2003-16)

The Houston Texans had a rough start in the NFL. It was a team that struggled to win games, and was often times a laughing stock of the league. Despite that, Andre Johnson still managed to be one of the best wide receivers of his generation. He was a first team All-Pro selection twice, made seven Pro Bowls and when it was all said and done, he finished his career 11th in total receptions and in total receiving yards. Despite being unstoppable at times, Johnson only made the playoffs twice in his 12 years with the Texans.

Randy Gardishar (1974-83)

The life long Denver Bronco spent his entire career in the Mile High City and became a fan favorite in no time. In his ten seasons in the league, he was named to the Pro Bowl seven times, and was named to the first or second All-Pro Team four times. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1978 and ended his career with 2,049 tackles while never missing a a single game.