The 3 Possible Candidates For Hard Knocks Have Been Revealed – Who Will The NFL Choose?

Now is perhaps a little early to turn to what was once a focal point of the end of the NFL offseason and training camp – Hard Knocks.

Whilst for many, the allure of a behind-the-scenes of an NFL franchise has been diluted by teams releasing borderline identical material on their respective YouTube pages, along with the ever increasing amount of creative control being policed by the chosen teams, it is still, for much of the NFL fandom, an enjoyable ramp up into football life in August before the action gets going in September.

What Are The Criteria For Hard Knocks Eligibility?

Any team, if they so choose, can volunteer to be featured on Hard Knocks, assuming there are no rival franchises vying for the honor. This does not tend to happen, barring in 2020 where the LA Chargers and LA Rams decided to do a joint venture to showcase the newly built SoFi Stadium.

Outside of that, a team must fulfill 3 criteria to be put into the ‘Knocks sweepstakes.

1.) They must not have a newly hired head coach.

2.) They must have not made the playoffs in the past two seasons.

3.) They must not have been featured in Hard Knocks for a minimum of 10 years prior.

So Which Teams Can Be Chosen?

The main decider this late into the year is, of course, coaching changes. And right now, the potential candidates that can be forced to be on Hard Knocks is down to a final three, per Avi Meirov.

All three of these teams are interesting choices, from a potential quarterback change in Chicago, to Sean Payton’s Denver team hoping for redemption (and also, perhaps, a new quarterback), to a Saints team that feels stuck in mediocre limbo in perpetuity.

We will not find out the NFL’s decision until much later in the year, post 2024 NFL Draft. However, whilst none of these incite must-see tv, or notable names that jump off the screen, they should all make for engaging and insightful viewing.

My guess now – they’ll pick the Broncos.