NFL still hasn't announced this year's Hard Knocks team

This year, four teams are eligible to be drafted to serve as the focal point of Hard Knocks. To date, the NFL has yet to publicly declare the winner.

Or, depending on perspective, the loser.

As noted by Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the league hasn't announced this year's Hard Knocks team. Last year, the league announced that it would be the Lions in late March.

The teams that can be compelled to do it under the formula the NFL previously developed are the Bears, Saints, Jets, and Commanders. Those are the franchises that remained after exempting any team with a new head coach, any team that has been to the playoffs in the last two years, and any team that has done it within the past 10 years.

The Bears have said they don't want it. The Jets are the most compelling selection; chances are they’re not interested, either. (If they were, it likely would have been already announced by now.)

That leaves the Saints and Commanders. Of the two, the Commanders are more compelling given the looming ownership change. But coach Ron Rivera, who ealizes that he needs to make a solid impression on new owner Josh Harris, likely would prefer not to have an extra variable in a situation already chock full of them.

That said, it could be an ideal time for 345 Park Avenue to gently jerk a few arms among current management, since current management might need a big favor or two from Big Shield once new ownership takes over.

Our guess? They really want the Jets to want to do it. So they’re waiting and hoping and maybe persuading, knowing that the Commanders could be the fallback option.

Which obviously means it will be the Saints.

Regardless of who it is, we’ll find out soon enough, since it debuts on HBO in early August.

They are folding their tents…no team will be better than the Lions were last year and they know it!

The Saints and Commanders flipped their votes to side with RG on Thursday night flex. The Jets and Bears voted against Goodell. Quid pro quo. It will be the Jets or Bears as punishment. Really those are the most compelling teams anyway. Rodgers is a HOF QB. Fields is a polarizing young QB. Commanders may have two owners but they have no QB. Carr is a decent middle aged boring QB with no drama.

Time to let Hard Knocks go.

The Jets will be the highest rated. This is a for profit enterprise and every one of the guys who appears on Hardknocks is being paid well to generate profit for the NFL. There's literally 0 reason for the NFL not to force it upon the Jets.

Still can't top the 2001 Ravens for sheer entertainment.

I feel like one of the few people that really enjoy the program and seeing what struggling teams are doing to change theirfortunes. I’ll watch any team on hard knocks.

Hair bun & the Jets…. Is there any doubt??!!

The NFL should give teams incentive to do it whether they’re exempt or not (extra 7th round draft pick?)

Just cancel the show. It has become unwatchable.

27 = number of NFL seasons I’ve have watched

0 = number of Hard Knocks seasons I’ve watched

Am I missing anything good?

Green Bay. They already have the clown music

This show needs canceling.

Gruden visiting the Saints. Hahahaha the league probably wants to avoid that. It will be The Jets.

They should flip the rules around completely and make it so the SB winner or perhaps the loser is forced to do it. Since nobody likes having to do it, might as well make it the price of success.

The Jaguars were interested in doing Hard Knocks a few years ago but they got turned down by HBO.

cheeseisfattening says:June 4, 2023 at 4:15 pm

Green Bay. They already have the clown music————It's like a college band playing the visiting team's fight song. Green Bay has to play clown music when the vikings and their fans are in town.

it is time for Green Bay to take its turn.

I still haven't watched one minute, and I won't. It's an intrusion of privacy. Teams don't want it. It feels like a Peeping Tom mentality. Obscene. Who wants to spy on someone when they’re not invited? Not my cup of tea.

Every team is already producing its own "Hard Knocks" style documentary. There's no room for Hard Knocks in the social media age. It's like the newspaper at this point.

My guess it’ll be the Bears. Which should make interesting content watching Fields struggle to play QB.

Da Bears.

I love Hard Knocks. Intriguing look behind the scenes in hot sun & heaps of sweat. Jets seem the obvious choice to me how they tip toe round the delicate genius filled by the Bears & how Fields embraces throwing the ball rather than just bailing out & running.

brawlkc says:June 4, 2023 at 3:36 pmI feel like one of the few people that really enjoy the program and seeing what struggling teams are doing to change theirfortunes. I’ll watch any team on hard knocks

—————

You have far too much time on your hands

Never watched the show but just not the Eagles I hope; bad luck i think.

I’m not a Jets fan, but Aaron Rodgers is so weird these days, I’d watch for the entertainment value.

Unwatchable show.

I’m surprised they haven't installed CCTV in every team locker room for the entire preseason — charging $100 a pop for a live feed.

Watching the Lions last season enabled me to see the meathead that Dan Campbell is.

Roger uses 3 "Magic 8 Balls ",He asks them all the same question, and when 2 of them give the same answer, that's how he makes the decision.

I watched two episodes of Hard Knocks a few years ago and thought it was completely stupid.

Let it wander off into the woods and get lost.

Weird to see all the "unwatchable" comments. Not sure what more you expect from a show of this format?

I heard the Lions hard knocks was by far the worst of them all.

Different New Lions says:June 4, 2023 at 2:25 pmThey are folding their tents…no team will be better than the Lions were last year and they know it!

——-

As a Lions fan, please shut up.

Turdburgler says:June 4, 2023 at 7:32 pmI heard the Lions hard knocks was by far the worst of them all.—It was wisely considered the best by the critics.

The Jets have done it before. They seem to be the most compelling story. The Commanders are also a story. But that's too much tied to the NFL front office.

Make it the defending SB the winner every year by default. No more whining by teams to not do it. Every team will WANT to do it, because it means they won it all. Great insight for what winning cultures look like. Compelling stories about repeating, new rookies trying to beat out high quality vets, and coaches having to cut players that were part of the prior winning formula.

itll be the jets. nfls just waiting for rodgers to say when.

please don't let the Jets get it, after watching the Lions I want my money back. NFL is a fixed game money sucker for the naïve and brainless.

What if everyone declines? Can the Boss force a team?

The only reality show I need to watch is NFL games that count. I don't give a damn what day of the week they’re on, or what time.

Rodgers hasn't sighned off yet, They will make it worth his while. , Watching Zack trying to give him the HELL he promised will be worth your dime

Can we just do the Lions again? Easily the best season of Hard Knocks in a decade.

Yes the teams have their own "version" of it on social media but it's all unwatchable puff pieces. Hard Knocks has been good and very real at times. But it absolutely should not be forced on the bottom teams, force it on the top teams. Then it would be a lot more interesting and people would watch for sure.

PLEASE JUST END IT!

I think the people that want the SB winner to be the default don't understand the premise of the show. It's turning around failure, not examining success.

That said, I don't think I’ve made it through an episode.

That said, I’d watch the Aaron Rodgers crazy train all day.

With the season already seriously disrupted with this ownership change, I seriously hope they do not compel Washington to do this.

Personally, while I know many people feel this makes for good TV, I’m generally against the general practice of making one team put up with this each year. It's a competitive disadvantage straight up. Nothing wrong with the NFL making a profit but just don't do it in a way that screws one team over all others…

This is obvious……they want the Jets for marketing reasons and to punish the world with millions more AR storylines.

As long as it isn't the Dallas Cowboys starring Jerry Jones, I’ll watch.

I watched Hard Knocks its first year… haven't wasted one minute on it since.

Worst show ever, I watched my Lions last year and it made me want to find a new NFL team.

The Lions were great last year, but that was because they gave them so much material that the Hard Knocks writers didn't have to manufacture stories. Dan Campbell's energy was a boost, but it also helped that both he Brad Holmes encourage coaches and players be themselves – not have to conform to a preset mentality.

More importantly, there weren't as many manufactured Lifetime-tv moments as the show normally has. The show had more actual football last year. I loved the practice rivalry between the offensive and defensive coordinators. The new players had great storylines that were told on the practice field. Last season it was about football.

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