Saquon Barkley may have put Hard Knocks on life support, but just when we all (and HBO) started to think it might die, here comes Bill Belichick.
According to a report from Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the offseason edition of HBO’s long-running collaboration with NFL Films will follow the eight-time Super Bowl champion head coach to Chapel Hill after failing to convert on recruiting a pro team this year. Glasspiegel referenced the “debacle” of New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen losing Barkley to the NFC East rival New York Giants in 2024 as a factor in why HBO and the NFL struggled to find a team for 2025.
Instead, Belichick will get the opportunity to shine a light on how he builds out a new program at UNC in his first season as a college head coach.
BREAKING: Bill Belichick and UNC will be featured on Offseason Hard Knocks after NFL Films could not find an NFL team to do it after the Joe Schoen debacle last year, sources tell @FOS
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) February 28, 2025
Notably, when Belichick coached the New England Patriots from 2000-23, the team was never featured on the popular HBO show. That type of exposure and hoopla is largely antithetical to the “Patriot Way” he crafted in Massachusetts.
But in the era of pay-for-play and the transfer portal, marketing is a must. For evidence of that, just look at Belichick’s decision to continue on with the ManningCast and his appearances (as well as UNC general manager Mike Lombardi’s) on The Pat McAfee Show. The famously reclusive coach is embracing attention.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Belichick can continue his crusade against the league by showing he has the testicular fortitude to bare his football bona fides on TV. All the teams that didn’t want to hire him (including the Giants themselves) now have to watch as he soaks up the praise throughout the year on Hard Knocks.
As for the show itself, Hard Knocks will be different in the world of college football. But if the crew can truly capture the chaos of the portal, NIL and the looming pay-for-play model, it could be just the refresh the show has needed for years.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.