The New Orleans Saints may not be forced into a “Hard Knocks” feature in 2023 after all; the Detroit News’ John Niyo reports that NFL Films reached out to the Detroit Lions about being their featured team for a second consecutive season.
Last summer’s spotlight was good for Detroit, helping to build a lot of hype for Dan Campbell’s team before their surprising 9-win season ended with an upset of the Green Bay Packers, eliminating Aaron Rodgers’ squad from playoff contention in his final game at Lambeau Field. The HBO feature made household names out of many undersung talents in Detroit, including former Saints assistant coach Aaron Glenn (the Lions defensive coordinator) and charismatic running back Jamaal Williams, who went on to lead the league in touchdown runs (before he signed with the Saints as a free agent, ironically).
So it makes sense that Campbell and the Lions might be up for a second summer in front of the cameras. That can’t be said for Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who has voiced his opposition to a “Hard Knocks” feature while seeing it as a distraction. While the Lions are trending up, the Saints just had their worst record in a decade, and Allen’s job should be on the line this season. Anything he can do to keep his players and coaches focused would be important. Having videographers tailing them everywhere during training camp and in the preseason wouldn’t exactly achieve that goal.
But the Saints could still be forced into hosting “Hard Knocks” this year. So could the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Washington Commanders as teams without first-year head coaches, winning records, or playoff berths. If the Lions decline this opportunity and no other volunteers emerge, the producers at HBO and NFL Films could twist Allen’s arm. Of course they’d rather have a willing partner. We’ll find out who’s hosting in the weeks ahead.
