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The NFL and HBO have a Hard Knocks problem. Or, at least, the NFL and HBO had a Hard Knocks problem. But as David Rumsey and Front Office Sports report, the league is changing its criteria for which teams are available to do the show after failing to find a willing participant to for their annual pre-draft edition in 2024.
Bill Belichick and the UNC Tar Heels were nearly the subject of a spring version of the show after every team reportedly shot down the network’s proposal. According to reports, teams were turned off after the backlash that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen faced after he publicly broadcast the team’s decision not to retain Saquon Barkley a year ago.
Joe Schoen has not been asked by other NFL teams about his thoughts on Offseason Hard Knocks
If he was asked? “I think I know what I would tell them” pic.twitter.com/FYwBJaIgb8
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) February 25, 2025
As for the training camp edition, one team will eventually be chosen without any say in the matter. But previously, several teams were exempt from filming under the league’s criteria. That included teams who had made the playoffs the last two seasons, teams with a new head coach and teams who were not on the show in the last eight seasons.
Those criteria eventually became burdensome for HBO, which is why the league had made a change.
The new rules eliminates the exemption for playoff teams. The NFL also decided that each of its eight divisions will appear on the show on a rotating basis. That expands the group of potential teams from just seven to 20. The following teams are all eligible to appear
- AFC East: Bills, Dolphins
- AFC North: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers
- AFC South: Colts, Texans, Titans
- AFC West: Broncos, Chiefs
- NFC East: Commanders, Eagles, Giants
- NFC North: Packers, Vikings
- NFC South: Falcons, Panthers
- NFC West: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks
HBO is likely to select its team in weeks following the NFL Draft with filming set to begin in July.