Bears to play Ravens in NFL Hall of Fame Game

Brian Urlacher will have plenty of company in Canton, Ohio, when he’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.

The Bears will play the Ravens in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which opens the NFL’s preseason slate.

The enshrinement ceremony for Urlacher, former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and other members of the Class of 2018 is Aug. 4.

The Bears were scheduled to play in the Hall of Fame Game in 2011 against the Rams, but it was canceled because of the NFL lockout. Defensive end Richard Dent was a member of the Hall class that year. He was the last Bears player voted to the Hall of Fame.

The game is important for the current Bears. It’s an extra exhibition game for new coach Matt Nagy and his staff to install and teach parts of their offense. It also means an earlier start to training camp in Bourbonnais.

It also will be a homecoming of sorts for quarterback Mitch Trubisky, though he likely won’t play too much. Trubisky is from Mentor, Ohio, about a one-hour drive from Canton.

As for Urlacher, he said last week on ESPN Radio (1000-AM) that he still was deciding who would present him at the enshrinement ceremony. Former Bears coach Lovie Smith, former Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache and former Bears linebackers coach Bob Babich are the finalists.

Other members of the 2018 Hall class are receivers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, safety Brian Dawkins, guard Jerry Kramer (senior inductee), linebacker Robert Brazile (senior inductee) and former Redskins general manager Bobby Beathard (contributor inductee).

Information about tickets can be found at http://www.hofexperiences.com.

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Email: ajahns@suntimes.com