Report: 'Hard Knocks' considered running it back with fan-favorite team

Last season, HBO and NFL fans alike were treated to a front-row seat to watch Dan Campbell and his Detroit Lions on "Hard Knocks," getting the full behind-the-scenes look at the up-and-coming team.

While the Lions' turnaround isn't fully complete yet, the franchise looks ready to turn the corner in 2023, and it appears "Hard Knocks" is well-aware and even considered attempting to pull a surprising move. As John Niyo of the Detroit News revealed, the HBO franchise "inquired about filming a sequel."

Obviously, a storybook outcome would have been the Lions returning to the playoffs after a strong regular season in 2023 and fans having the opportunity to watch the buildup to the franchise's official return as a legitimate playoff team. Unfortunately, as SB Nation's Pride of Detroit detailed, Lions president Rod Wood didn't appear overly interested in running it back for an encore version of "Hard Knocks" immediately.

“Probably going to take a year off,” Wood said. “… So the two teams that have done it the last two years (the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts), it didn’t work out too well for them, either. Both those coaches are (gone).”

What's next for HBO's "Hard Knocks" if not a Lions encore?

With the way the arrangement is set up, the league can force one team of a set group to do the show if need be. As CBS Sports detailed, any team with a first-year head coach in place, a playoff berth in the past two seasons or if the team appeared on "Hard Knocks" in the past 10 years does not have to be on the show.

Based off those guidelines, this year could lead to any of the following four teams being featured on the show: New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears.

Any of those four teams would be must-see television, and each one has multiple intriguing storylines. Fans would likely love to see how the Aaron Rodgers situation is playing out with the Jets, but after the quarterback was front-and-center for the past few offseasons, it could make more sense to go in another direction.

Fans having the opportunity to watch the buildup to quarterback Derek Carr's first season with a new team in the Saints could be enjoyable, while the Commanders appear to be on the verge of starting second-year quarterback Sam Howell, another intriguing storyline. As for the Bears, the growth of Justin Fields and his connection with offseason acquisition DJ Moore has plenty of appeal in its own right.