Seahawks, Patriots will serve as next two Hard Knocks teams

The NFL has picked the 2026 Hard Knocks team. It also has picked the 2027 Hard Knocks team.

For the first time ever, the NFL has announced the subjects of the long-running HBO docuseries for the next two installments. Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, it will be the Seahawks in 2026 and the Patriots in 2027.

Neither team has ever served as the subject of the show. And both, obviously, made it to Super Bowl LX.

Once upon a time, the NFL exempted from Hard Knocks consideration any team that had made it to the playoffs within the past two seasons. That factor is obviously now long gone.

The NFL also started in-season Hard Knocks several years ago. In recent seasons, it has focused on an entire division. Presumably, the 2026 installment won’t focus on the NFC West — and the 2027 version won’t center on the AFC East.

The league had a one-year run of offseason Hard Knocks. It was so revealing (in a bad way) for the Giants that the experiment ended after one year.