The Bears are one of four teams roped in with the New York Jets, Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints eligible to participate as the subject for HBO's "Hard Knocks" show.
The show provides an inside lens to one team's training camp over the summer. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, three of the four teams have already expressed their disinterest: including the Bears.
"Per multiple sources, the NFL has expanded its search for preseason Hard Knocks teams beyond the four that, by league rule, technically could be forced to do it — the Jets, Bears, Saints, and Commanders," Florio wrote. "The first three have made clear that they have no interest in doing it. The Commanders, we’re told, would do it if selected."
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To refresh your memory, a team does NOT have to be on the show if they meet one of these three criteria:
- They have a first-year head coach in place.
- They have a playoff berth in the past two seasons.
- They have appeared on "Hard Knocks" in the past 10 years.
The four aforementioned teams do not meet any of the criteria this season, making them eligible for the NFL to force the show upon them. But, the NFL doesn't necessarily want to impose a team uncomfortable with the show to participate.
Hence, the NFL is expanding its search to see if any team would raise their hand and volunteer to become the show's subject. Rarely does a team volunteer to participate in Hard Knocks. But multiple teams have partaken more than once, including the Dallas Cowboys -- who have been the subject three times since the show's inception.
Bears News
As for the Bears, they've expressed their disinterest publically since questions arose on the topic.
“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks,’” Bears chairman George McCaskey said in March.
Does that include the Bears?
“Thirty-one others," McCaskey said then.