Making the playoffs for NFL franchises meant they could avoid being on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” the following season. That won’t be the case with the training camp edition anymore.
At the NFL annual league meeting this week, playoff teams can now be featured on “Hard Knocks” in the next season. Per Sports Illustrated, these are the new rule changes that qualifies a team to appear on “Hard Knocks.”
- Has not been featured on the Hard Knocks: Training Camp edition for the previous eight seasons (2017-2024).
- Does not have a first-year head coach.
- Is not exempt from from selection based on club participation in “Hard Knocks” or a similar access show prior to 2024 pursuant to parameters that existed at the time of such club’s prior participation.
This opens up the pool for prospective teams to appear on the “Hard Knocks: Training Camp Edition” — the one that has appeared since 2001. There are three versions of “Hard Knocks,” the training camp edition, the in-season edition, and the offseason edition. The in-season edition has been going on for a few seasons, but the offseason edition lasted just one season with the New York Giants (for now).
There has been no announcement if an offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” will continue. The offseason edition was released last summer.
As for the training camp edition, the NFL has not listed any of the eligible teams for the 2025 season. With the inclusion of playoff teams, the pool of qualified teams is wide open compared to previous years.
Perhaps the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles make an appearance for the first time. As long as the in-season edition doesn’t involve the NFC East (the in-season edition now features all teams within a division), a team like the Eagles are fair game.
