Philadelphia Eagles catch break by avoiding 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
By Dan Parzych
The Philadelphia Eagles will not be playing in the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, which works out better for the Super Bowl champions.
With the Philadelphia Eagles continuing to celebrate their epic run that concluded in taking down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, the one concern the team was slightly worried about for the next couple of months was the possibility of the team earning an extra preseason game in August. As thrilling as it was to see Brian Dawkins finally earn a much deserved spot in Canton, many wondered if this would result in the Eagles playing in the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
Preseason in general tends to be a pain for most teams when looking at the high risk of injuries, and just the thought of Philadelphia having to deal with a fifth game seemed frustrating when looking at all of the key injuries they had to overcome last season. From Carson Wentz to Jason Peters, watching Doug Pederson and the Eagles make the necessary adjustments to still come out on top by winning the Super Bowl was truly amazing, and it will be even more exciting to watch in 2018 since everyone should be back fully healthy.
As for the possibility of playing in the Hall of Fame Game, it turns out the Eagles caught a break by avoiding this year’s contest since it will be the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears participating instead. Yes, it would have been cool to see Philadelphia play in this game because of Dawkins, but at the end of the day, this is the best option for Pederson’s squad.
Ravens and Bears will play in the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 2. Many expected the #Eagles because of Brian Dawkins’ induction. Extended 2017 and early 2018 start likely played role. HOF game would have added 5th preseason and early camp for Eagles, who will open season on Sept. 6.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) February 13, 2018
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The one point mentioned by Jeff McLane about the possibility of the Eagles playing in a fifth preseason game along with recently extending their season, and having to open on Sept. 6 would have been an absolute nightmare to deal with. So at the end of the day, thank goodness Philadelphia doesn’t have to worry about playing in this year’s Hall of Fame Game. And instead, the team and fans can spend the weekend on focusing on celebrating Dawkins heading to Canton, as one of the greatest safeties to ever step foot on the field, which everyone in the City of Brotherly Love already knew.