The NFL is making a significant update to the season edition of the critically acclaimed HBO series Hard Knocks the 2024.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s director of media and affairs, said Tuesday that the Hard Knocks for the 2024 season will focus on an entire department and not a single team.
Rolapp added that the NFL does not yet have which of its 8 divisions will be the focus of the docuseries.
Hard Knocks debuted in 2001, and while it initially focused solely on group education camp, it was replaced in 2021.
As of 2021, there is a pre-season edition of Hard Knocks and a seasonal edition. In 2021, the Indianapolis Colts suffered the first blows of the season, followed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 and the Miami Dolphins in 2023.
The update has added new wrinkles to Hard Knocks as the Season Edition is less about players looking to build a team and teams preparing for the season, and more about the trials and tribulations teams go through during the grueling NFL season.
By opting for a single team, the NFL can’t necessarily see the types of storylines that will play out throughout the season.
A smart team will fight for the playoffs, a bad team will be out, and an intermediate team will likely experience a lot of ups and downs.
Showcasing an entire department will allow the NFL and HBO to showcase the full diversity of what teams enjoy over the course of an entire NFL season.
There are exceptions, but top divisions tend to have at least one very smart team, one or two in the middle and one among the worst in the league.
Of course, it’s conceivable that you could select a division where each team has a chance to win the division or make the playoffs until the end of the year, just like the AFC North and NFC South last season.
Regardless, the season’s new Hard Knocks format represents the continued evolution of the series and will be a must-watch for football fans.