It’s all but official: The Chicago Bears won’t be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL has selected the New York Jets to serve as this year’s team on Hard Knocks.
The Bears were one of four teams that could be forced into being featured on Hard Knocks this summer, along with the Jets, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders.
The qualifications were missing the playoffs for the past two seasons, not having a first-year head coach and not having hosted Hard Knocks in the past decade.
NFL and NFL Films have selected the New York Jets to serve as this year’s team on Hard Knocks, per sources.
Jets report to training camp one week from today, July 19, and the cameras will be rolling in full force. pic.twitter.com/v9A7Pb9GP2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2023
This will be welcome news for Bears chairman George McCaskey, who’s made his feelings clear about the idea of his team being featured on the show.
“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on Hard Knocks,” he said.
But that didn’t include the Bears.
“31 others,” McCaskey said.
While Chicago won’t be featured on Hard Knocks, fans can still get their behind-the-scenes fix with the team’s official video series, 1920 Football Drive, which has chronicled training camp over the past two years.
The Bears report to training camp on July 25.
