It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for: We now know which NFL teams can be forced to appear on “Hard Knocks.”
OK, so you probably haven’t been too worried about who will star in the next season of the HBO documentary series, but with the playoff picture now finalized, it’s (mostly) clear which teams are eligible for the show. If a team hasn’t been on “Hard Knocks” in the last 10 seasons, hasn’t made the playoffs in the last two seasons and doesn’t have a new head coach, then the NFL can make them appear on the series.
This offseason, those teams are the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.
The Colts haven’t confirmed Chuck Pagano will remain their head coach — he’s been on the hot seat for a few years running — but if they haven’t fired him by now, it seems unlikely they will.
Of course, there’s always the possibility a team will volunteer to be on “Hard Knocks,” but that’s been a difficult task in seasons past.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
