NFL proposes Hard Knocks team selection rule changes

The NFL and Hard Knocks received significant push-back last season in their quest to select a team for the popular HBO Max series, which is likely why the league is proposing changes to their selection process. In the past, the guidelines stipulated that a team with a new head coach, a playoff berth in the previous two seasons, or an appearance on the show in the last decade would be exempt from participating.

Those rules left only four teams – the Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints – to choose from. The end result was the Jets very reluctantly opening their doors to the Hard Knocks crew.

On Tuesday, NFL Media is holding a vote for the league owners to re-vamp the selection rules for the preseason all-access show, according to the Sports Business Journal. Naturally, they want to expand their pool of potential teams. Among the proposed changes is eliminating the exclusion of teams that made the playoffs in the past two seasons. If the new rules passed, the best teams in the league would be back in the mix for a Hard Knocks spotlight.

According to the proposal, teams can only avoid the preseason Hard Knocks show if they: Have participated before in the last 8 years (down from 10 years); Have a first-year head coach (unchanged); Will participate in the in-season “Hard Knocks” show in the current season or next season.

‘Hard Knocks In Season’ to potentially expand to four teams

NFL Media is also proposing an expansion of the in-season Hard Knocks show. Hard Knocks In Season has featured three teams so far: Miami, Arizona and Indianapolis. Moving forward, if approved, the In Season edition would feature a full division of teams instead of a single team. The move brings more teams into the mix, and therefore fans, but it also gives the teams a little more privacy.

Last year, before tearing his Achilles in Week 1, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly expressed his displeasure with having Hard Knocks come to New Jersey. The build-up of having Rodgers as the starting quarterback during their five-episode season only made his injury that much more devastating.

“I understand the appeal with us,” Rodgers said at the American Century Championship. “Obviously, there’s a lot of eyes on me. A lot of eyes on our team. A lot of expectations on our squad. So, they forced it down our throats, and we’ve got to deal with it.”