There has been a lot of doubt over the future of HBO's Hard Knocks. In June, it was reported that HBO had approached the Lions about appearing on the show for the second year in a row. The reason for this desperation was that teams were apparently especially unwilling to appear on the show this year.
While the NFL could mandate the Jets, Saints, Commanders, and Bears to appear on the show, even these teams were pushing back about working with HBO. It’s likely that the Jets, with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, was the preference of HBO. However, the reluctance for teams to participate was likely worrying for HBO. Hard Knocks 2023 would be the first under HBO’s new Max banner. Furthermore, there is currently a bigger reliance on unscripted content as the WGA strike continues. However, intervention by the NFL appears to have saved the show.
Aaron Rodgers And The Jets Will Be "Hard Knocks" Focus
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the NFL has chosen the New York Jets to appear on Hard Knocks. The league's criteria for teams to be eligible for "Hard Knocks" eliminates teams with first-year head coaches, teams that qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons, and teams that appeared in the past 10 seasons. The Jets last appeared on Hard Knocks in 2010. Meanwhile, this will be Rodgers' first time on the show, as the Packers have never been selected. The Jets report to training camp on July 19.
However, not everyone is happy about the news. Speaking during the June uncertainly, Jets head coach Robert Salah made it clear that he didn't want the team to be featured. "I haven't gotten word or anything like that. I know there's several teams that would love for Hard Knocks to be in their building, but we're just not one of them." The likely storylines that the show will focus on will largely be at the quarterback position. Of course, there's the arrival of Aaron Rodgers. However, there is also his understudy - Zach Wilson. Wilson was the second-overall pick in the 2021 draft. However, inconsistent performances saw him get benched in 2022 and then ultimately sidelined by the Rodgers trade.
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