When is the 2021 NFL Hall of Fame Game?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys were due to face off in the 2020 NFL Hall of Fame Game last season. Due to COVID-19 concerns and the NFL's decision to cancel the Hall of Fame weekend and preseason games, that matchup was canceled.

This year, the NFL announced that the Steelers and Cowboys would be given an opportunity to reschedule that showdown, which appears to be on track so far.

2021 Hall of Fame Game schedule

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys will play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 8:00 pm ET. The Hall of Fame Game will take place at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where it takes place annually. The game will be aired live on FOX.

It'll be a weekend honoring many of the best @steelers ever, including one of the franchise's greatest coaches! @CowherCBS is less than 1️⃣ month away from being a Hall of Famer. 📰: https://t.co/f34Gjv2DUv#HOFExperiences | #PFHOF20 pic.twitter.com/OuVvr4e9oy

— Hall of Fame Experiences (@HOFExperiences) July 18, 2021

The NFL chooses teams who had notable players entering the NFL Hall of Fame that year. The Steelers and Cowboys were chosen as they both had former head coaches who were being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steelers' Bill Cowher and the Cowboys' Jimmy Johnson. The 2021 NFL Hall of Fame ceremony will be a combination of the 2020 and 2021 inductees.

The Steelers and Cowboys have featured in the Hall of Fame Game the most: a total of six times. The Pittsburgh Steelers last played in the game in 2015 and the Dallas Cowboys last played in 2017.

The Hall of Fame Game is seen as the kickoff to preseason play as it is the first preseason game of the season. Both the Steelers and Cowboys will play four games compared to the rest of the league that will play in three preseason games.

Although neither the Steelers nor the Cowboys are expected to play their starting players, it's still an exciting game for fans. This season, especially with the stadiums at full capacity and the world starting to return from the pandemic, it will be one to watch for NFL fans across the league, whether in attendance or on television.

Since the Steelers and Cowboys will play a week ahead of the rest of the NFL, both teams will report to NFL training camp earlier this week to have adequate time to prepare.

Hall of Fame Inductees:

2020 Hall of Fame:

Bill Cowher

Jimmy Johnson

Troy Polamalu

Edgerrin James

Steve Hutchinson

Isaac Bruce

Steve Atwater

MAKE IT HAPPEN! Bill Cowher said he hopes to call a blitz when the Steelers take on the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game. https://t.co/a6WwMLFSTU

— KDKA (@KDKA) July 14, 2021

2021 Hall of Fame:

Peyton Manning

Charles Woodson

Calvin Johnson

Drew Pearson

Alan Faneca

Bill Nunn

John Lynch

Tom Flores