1 NFL team really wants to avoid being on ‘Hard Knocks’

Sep 11, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

NFL teams tend to want to avoid winding up on HBO’s annual “Hard Knocks” training camp series, but someone has to do it. This season, one eligible team is rooting very hard for someone else to be selected.

The NFL can assign any team to “Hard Knocks” duty if they have a returning head coach and have not made the playoffs in either of the last two seasons. The Chicago Bears are one of four teams to meet the criteria for 2023, but chairman George McCaskey is clearly not campaigning for the role.

“We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on ‘Hard Knocks,'” McCaskey said, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “Thirty-one others.”

McCaskey is probably just saying what every team feels. Someone will have to do it, though. The New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, and New York Jets are the other three teams that are eligible to be chosen by the league.

The Bears could be intriguing with a quarterback like Justin Fields and a high draft pick coming in. However, if the Jets bring in Aaron Rodgers as expected, it would be incredibly tough for the league to pass on showcasing that storyline, so McCaskey might get his wish.