Unlike last season, the selection process for HBO’s Hard Knocks won’t drag on into the summer.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears will be the featured team on HBO’s training camp docuseries this summer. Schefter also reports the season will premiere on Tuesday, August 6.
The Bears announced the news on Thursday.
“Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears will provide our passionate fans across the world the ability to experience this unique and critical time in the history of our franchise,” stated President & CEO Kevin Warren.
Last season, the New York Jets eventually were selected as the team to appear on Hard Knocks, though an official announcement didn’t come until July. To put it mildly, the Jets were not thrilled about being forced to appear on the show. Schefter even said the team was “not interested in being partners” with HBO and NFL Films on the series.
The Bears have also struck a similar tone in the past, downplaying their interest in being featured on the show last March.
This season, just three teams (the Bears, Broncos, and Saints) ticked off all three criteria for being eligible for a forced selection onto Hard Knocks. The NFL expanded the criteria this offseason, removing the “recent playoff team” exception and cutting the “previous participant” timeframe from ten years to eight. Additionally, the in-season version of Hard Knocks, which featured the Miami Dolphins last season, will now feature an entire division.
Additionally, the New York Giants will be featured on a new series called Hard Knocks: Offseason, premiering July 2.
The Bears finished 7-10 last season but ended up with the #1 overall pick due to a trade last year with the Carolina Panthers. They traded incumbent quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers and selected USC’s Caleb Williams first overall to send their franchise in a new direction.
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.