A year ago, the New York Giants appeared on a special offseason edition of Hard Knocks. To say the least, it didn't go as expected by the franchise. The show highlighted how the front office handled the Saquon Barkley departure in free agency, how they miscalculated his moves , and it came back to bite them throughout the season with the running back playing at an elite level for the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, there is more drama coming to the franchise soon.
HBO will produce two versions of Hard Knocks in 2025. The normal one, during training camp, will be with the Buffalo Bills. However, there's another in-season version highlighting a full division, and this year it will have the NFC East.
The #Bills will be on Hard Knocks this summer, and the NFC East will be on the in-season edition, Roger Goodell says.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 21, 2025
The in-season division edition will have a rotation. So every eight years, all 32 NFL teams will be a part of Hard Knocks. Predictably, the first edition will have the NFC East, with four big television markets in the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, and Dallas Cowboys.
Back in February, Giants general manager Joe Schoen was asked if other NFL executives had called him about the participation on the show, and he pretty much admitted he wanted that decision from last year back.
"No, I haven’t gotten any calls on that," Schoen said. "I think I know what I would tell them."
Hard Knocks is a reality sports documentary television series produced by NFL Films for HBO. It has been televised since 2001, and the Giants had never been a part of it until the offseason participation in 2024.
There will still be plenty of drama for the Giants, especially with the quarterback competition between veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, plus first-round rookie Jaxson Dart. Head coach Brian Daboll being on the hot seat is also an obvious topic.
At least, the in-season version will be more focused on the players and coaches, since roster-building decisions aren't as impactful during the regular season. And there will be three other teams to talk about.
The exposure is probably not what the Giants needed at this time, but that's what happens when you play in New York.
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